Sonic BN Brawl
by strouplionheart
Summary: Enter a new world where Sonic meets Star Force/Battle Network! It's my work-in-progress story! Please be nice! First post, you know!
1. Chapter 1

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 1 Just Another First Day

Welcome to the beginning of what is going to be Sonic BN Brawl! This is the start of a collection of fanfiction I'm going to have. This is a Sonic/Star Force-type story that I hope you will all enjoy!

NOTE: The characters you read about in this story (and those to follow) are humans, not animorphs. Just wanted to get that across before any questions arose.

Ding! Ding! A large bell rang atop the highest point of Station Square High. Thousands of children, anywhere between 14 and 18 years of age, began to barge out into the halls within the building, and many ventured outside to reach their next classes. Just then, a young 16 year-old with blue, spiky hair dashed outside like a shooting star. He was wearing an ordinary set of garments, such as a blue overshirt and casual blue jeans. He inhaled the freshness of the outside air and stated, "There's nothin' better than fresh air!" His name was Sonic, and unbeknownst to him, he was one of the world's future heroes.

"Sonic!" exclaimed a voice that sounded almost like a young child from inside the building. Before the doors had their chance to shut, a short boy with yellow, fox-like hair and an yellow-shaded overshirt pushed them aside and walked to join Sonic. Sonic put an ashamed look on his face. "Sorry, Tails!" he attempted to apologize. "I didn't really see 'ya there, bud!" Despite what happened, Tails managed to turn his frown into a smile. "Hey, don't worry about it, Sonic!" he said, almost too cheerfully. "So, hey, where's your next class?" Sonic's ashamed look switched into a confused one. "Umm..." he said. "I'm...not sure. Here, lemme check out my schedule."

With that, Sonic reached into his pockets and found a yellow slip of paper, which was inscribed with the seven classes he had to visit every day for the rest of sophomore year. "Ohh!" he said, trying really hard not to sound stupid. "I gotta get over to C Block!" Tails' face lit with excitement. "Really!? So do I!" he exclaimed. "It's all the way on the other side of campus, though..." Sonic threw a grin on his face. "That's awesome! But wait..." his grin turned into a frown. "You mean we gotta go all the way back over there!? Man! That blows!"

Tails found it necessary to laugh at Sonic's despair. "It's not as bad as you think it is, Sonic!" he encouraged. "Come on. We'll go there together!" Sonic managed to turn his frown upside down. "Yeah, you're right!" he exclaimed. "Okay, bud! Let's get going!" The two friends began to sprint towards C Block, where their next class periods would take place. Upon reaching C Block, they were greeted by yet another one of their friends. His hair was long and red, like a fresh strawberry mixed with a cherry. He was wearing a black overshirt, one that somehow compemented his appearance. His name was Knuckles, a long-time friend of Sonic's. "Sonic!" he said, almost happily. "Good to see a friendly face!"

"Same here, Knux!" exclaimed Sonic. Knuckles suddenly grew agitated. "I told you to stop calling me that..." he said almost as an angry whisper. Sonic tried to change the topic of conversation, which seemed to be pretty effective. "So, anyways, what's up, man?" he asked. "Haven't seen you since summer of last school year! Whatcha been up to?" Knuckles attempted a grin. "Oh, not too much," he said. Sonic then crossed his arms, giving his friend a tired look. "That sounds really boring," he said. "Didn't you do something...I dunno...fun?" Knuckles punched Sonic in the face, leaving a slight mark on it. "You idiot!" he shouted. "Of course I did something fun! I just...don't feel like sharing, that's all!"

"Okay, okay!" Sonic stressed, lifting himself up from the ground. "You didn't haveta punch me, though." Knuckles suddenly looked down in sadness. "Y-Yeah, I know..." he said, obviously not very happily. "Sorry, man..." Sonic gently placed his right hand on Knuckles' shoulder. "Hey, no big deal!" he grinned. "You remember how we always used to fight! That was nothing compared to what we usually do!" Knuckles looked up at Sonic, and he found the strength to smile. "Yeah, you're right," he said. But before they could go any further, another friend ambushed Sonic and began to squeeze him from behind, her arms wrapped around him. "Sonic!" she exclaimed. "I missed you so much!"

"Amy!" Sonic exclaimed. "H-Hey, leggo of me! What's the big idea!?" Sonic managed to release himself from Amy's grip. "So, how've you been? And don't do that next time!" Amy's cheeks turned a bright crimson color. "You're right!" she apologized. "I'm sorry!" She then turned to face Tails and Knuckles. "Hi, guys!" Tails was the first to reply, and he was far more enthusiastic than Knuckles. "Hi, Amy! How are you?" Tails said. "Good to see you again!" Amy looked straight at Tails and gave him a cheerful smile. "Just fine!" she said cheerfully. "Hey, do you guys know what's up with the teachers this year?"

"Whaddya mean by that?" asked Sonic. "Tails and I passed by some teachers on our way here, and they all seemed just fine. Well, a little weird, but overall okay." Amy lifted her pointer finger as if she was about to give a lecture. "That's my point, Sonic," she said. "The teachers this year...they look like they've almost been...brainwashed. Well, not all of them do, but all of the teachers in the new Black District look weird." Knuckles rubbed his chin as if thinking. "Black District..." he said. "That's that new section of the school right? Why's it there? What's the reason for it being there?"

"I dunno," said Sonic, "but we definitely noticed it on our way here. It's an enormous facility...Almost looks like a prison center." Before the gang could ponder the thought any longer, an announcement was heard through the intercom. "Attention, students!" it exclaimed. "To begin, I'd like to welcome you all back to Station Square High School! I hope everyone had a nice summer vacation. Now that we're back, I'd like to direct your attention to a few new features we have here on campus." Sonic's face lit with a grin. "This should be good," he said.

"For starters," the voice continued, "I would like to ask all of you-and I do mean all of you-not to go anywhere near the Black District. That section of the school is off-limits to those without permission to enter. Now, on a different note..." Sonic grew agitated with the ongoing talking. "Gaaaahh!" he exclaimed. "When does this guy quit!? My ears are about to fall off!" Knuckles put a hand over Sonic's mouth as to reduce the noise frequency from him. "Quiet, Sonic!" he said. Tails laughed when he viewed the two friends. "That's just the principal for you!" he said, cheerfully. "Principal Vector Cron Murkam, our good 'ol principal! He's not all that bad, is he, Sonic?"

Sonic finally removed Knuckles' hand off of his face. "Well, I don't have a problem with the guy, but he talks way too damn much!" he admitted. Vector continued, "Now, if I can get all of the sophomores and freshmen to report to the Central District. We have to make sure our students are all in top Netbattling condition. Please make haste to the Central District immediately!" Sonic suddenly jumped with excitement. "Yes!" he shouted. "We get to do some more Netbattling! This is gonna be no sweat!" He finished his sentence and began to dash towards Central District, the rest of his friends following shortly behind.

Upon entering the Central District, Sonic and gang witnessed a collision of hundreds of students that were either freshmen or sophomores. "Wow!" said Sonic. "But hey, are these all just freshmen and sophomores? Where are the juniors and seniors?" Tails slowly walked up to Sonic and chuckled. "Sonic," he began, "Junior students and senior students don't have to take the first-day exams. Don't you remember? The tests we took at the very end of last year? That was the SPE, or the Student Placement Exam. That test determines whether or not we move up a grade or not. Since we passed, we moved up to sophomores. Juniors who pass the test move up to seniors, and both juniors and seniors are considered top-class students, so they get to skip the first-day tests we have."

"What!?" shouted Sonic. "That bites...WE need to be juniors!" Then, Vector and other teachers greeted their students and began their lecture. "Good morning, everyone," said Vector. "As you all know, I am Vector Cron Murkam, your principal. These are going to be your block principals, who will be in their assigned block should you ever need them. Now, then...on to the test. Based on how well your scores last year turned out, we will decide who fights first. Oh, and don't worry! You won't be in any grave danger! But do remember this: Netbattles are serious! Never give your opponent the upper hand!"

With that said, Vector pointed to the giant overhead screen that hovered over the students. Two name slots began to randomly flash and spin. At the end of it, the two names that were chosen were Sonic and Knuckles. Sonic and Knuckles both jumped at the chance to fight one another. "Sonic and Knuckles!" exclaimed Vector. "Please make your way to the stage!" Sonic and Knuckles both sprinted to the stage and reached into their pockets, each pulling out their own Star Carrier ready for use. Sonic and Knuckles stared at one another with a deep look of determination. "I won't lose! shouted Knuckles. Sonic gave a slight laugh. "Just try to keep up, okay?" he smurked.

With that, they both threw their Star Carriers into the air and watched as their portable machines began to circle their bodies. As it began to circle, the two friends emitted a shining glow from their bodies, and they both gained protective eyewear that resembled green glasses. They had just engaged Wave Change, and both were ready for their fight as they stood in fighting positions. Vector raised his hand as a referee. "Now, I want a good, clean Netbattle, you two!" he stressed. "No cheating! Use chips given to you by the school district! Ready!?"

Sonic's eyes lit with fire, as his excitement could barely be contained. Surprisingly, Knuckles did the same. Vector's hand swiftly lowered from midair. "BEGIN!!" With that, the two were teleported to the Wave World, where they could still be seen. This was done so they could actually fight with chips and their wave forms. Sonic's feet launched him off of the ground and high into the air, and he came back down with a fist ready to punch. Knuckles finally looked up to notice Sonic, but was too slow to dodge the blow. He suffered full damage from that attack. As Knuckles was sent spiraling into the air due to the aftermath, he quickly drew a battle chip and activated it. "WoodAxe!" he exclaimed. His right arm quickly morphed into a wooden axe weapon, and he lunged down at Sonic, who was barely able to dodge the attack when he finally realized it was coming. The aftermath was a large quake, breaking bits and pieces of the Wave World and leaving clouds of dust. Sonic landed safely on his feet.

"Not bad, Knuckles!" he said, encouraging his opponent. Knuckles gave Sonic a smile. "Yeah, well," he stated, "Unlike a certain blue-haired dunce I know, I spent my summer training and practicing my techniques! Plus, I came up with a couple of strategies and found some new programs for me to try! Check this out!" With those words spoken, Knuckles lunged high into the air, and he reached in his pocket for a small, red square program. "Install!" he exclaimed. "Attack+1!" The square then began to flash, and it shattered, the fragments being absorbed into Knuckles. Sonic simply stared in awe. "How'd you do that!?" he questioned. Knuckles laughed at his opponent. "It's called a program, stupid!" he shouted. "I can use programs to further increase my power! Attack+1 gives me a huge boost to my power, giving me more than enough to mop the floor with you!"

"Aww, crap!" said Sonic, getting ready to dodge his opponent's upcoming onslaught. As Knuckles lunged towards Sonic, his opponent jumped high into the air in order to dodge the attack. Thinking that this would throw Knuckles out of tune, Sonic was surprised when he saw his friend laughing. "You think that's gonna stop me?" he said. "Fat chance!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out another program, this time a small, white square. "Install! Speed+1!" The effect of the program was absorbed once more into Knuckles, and he sprinted into the air to meet his opponent. "This one gives me a huge speed boost!" he said. "Now, you can't run away from me, Sonic. It's over!"

Knuckles then thrashed his fist into Sonic's face, hitting him point-blank and sending him crashing down into the fabrics of Wave World. Dust clouds formed, and the ground itself began to crack and tear. "Damn it!" Sonic said. "How come I can't do that stuff? That'd be pretty cool!" He found a laugh in his chest. This was obviously not what Knuckles wanted to hear. "You idiot!" he shouted. "Come on! Get serious! I wanna beat you when you're at your best!!" Knuckles sprinted towards Sonic with a new WoodAxe on his right arm. Sonic had to think fast for this to go smoothly. He examined the various stalactites that were sunk into the ceiling of the area. His face lit with a grin. "I got it!" he exclaimed. "Cannon!" With the chip downloaded, he aimed his shot at the ceiling.

Back in the real world, Amy could only feel confused when she saw his aiming point. "What's wrong with you!?" she exclaimed. "If you shoot Knuckles, he won't be able to dodge! He's coming right at you! What're you doing!?" Tails quickly grasped ahold of Sonic's intentions. "I see..." he said. "Amy! Look at the ceiling! See the stalactites there? He's gonna shoot those and make them crash down and hit Knuckles!" With that said, Sonic's Cannon shot hit the above stalactites dead-on, somehow causing Knuckles to pause his attack. He looked at the ceiling slowly, almost as if he was scared. The stalactites began to pluck themselves from the ceiling, and within seconds, they came crashing down on Knuckles, gravely damaging him and leaving him under a pile of crushed rocks. Sonic could only smile and say, "That's game!"

In the real world, everyone began to cheer and clap at the amazing display of fighting they just witnessed. Sonic had won the battle, and Knuckles managed to push aside the large pile of crushed and fallen rocks that lay on top of him. Bruised and bleeding, he stood reassured that his training was worth it. "That was a pretty clever move, Sonic," he said, almost impressed. "You knew about the ceiling all along. It didn't take you long to figure out a way to beat me using the environment. That was...enjoyable."

Sonic gave Knuckles a playful grin. "Aww!" he said in a mocking tone. "Knuckles is impressed with me! That's so cute!" Knuckles suddenly grew a blood-red temper, and he began chasing Sonic around the Wave World shouting, "I'll get you! Just wait until I get my hands on you!" When Vector teleported them back to the real world, Knuckles had chained Sonic by the hair with his hands. In pain, Sonic moaned and groaned at his friend. "Hey! Leggo!" he exclaimed. The entirety of the freshmen and sophomore began to laugh and point at the two friends, but as they began to laugh, a massive explosion came from the Cafeteria kitchen. Sonic and Knuckles quickly released one another, and they dashed straight for the area. When they entered through the doors in the cafeteria, the entire place was up in a raging fire.

"What the hell!?" exclaimed Knuckles. "What happened here!?" Flames were scorching throughout the area, and if they weren't stopped, they would spread throughout the entire school. Sonic backtracked through the cafeteria. "Where are you going!?" shouted Knuckles. Sonic looked back while running. "If I can find a fire extinguisher, then we can get to the source!" he shouted back. "I know it! Just sit tight! I'll be right back!" With that, Sonic ran around the cafeteria like a super-high rabbit looking for a fire extinguisher. Searching every corner and crack, he finally located one on the northern wall of the cafeteria. "Finally!" he exclaimed. His hands reached for the fire extinguisher, and with a light tugg, they pulled it off of the wall and into Sonic's grasp. His feet dashed him quickly back to the kitchen.

As he arrived, Sonic's eyes witnessed flames that were even more ferocious than they were upon his departure. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. "These things just don't know when to quit, do they?" With that said, his hands reached for the fire extinguisher on his back, and his right hand's pointer finger pushed the lever to release the fluid. As it spread all across the room, the raging fires that once stood strong and bright began to dim and weaken, and before long, the kitchen was free of such a hazard. Knuckles jumped at the sight of a flameless room. "Great!" he exclaimed. "Now, let's move on!" Sonic nodded to his comrade, and with that done, they began to sprint deeper into the kitchen.

As they continued towards the end of the area, Sonic and Knuckles came to a barred door. The door was securely fastened; the one who locked it wanted to make sure no one else entered. "This must be it!" Sonic exclaimed. "Here! Help me out here, Knuckles!" Knuckles readied his fists, and together, they began to push and shove against the door. In time, they managed to cause the door to collapse to the ground. The two friends hesitated upon entering the room, for it was the only area not engulfed in a raging inferno. "What's...?" Knuckles attempted to speak. Sonic's eyes circled through the room, revealing the truths of the situation. "Everything's...unharmed..." he said, almost as a whisper. Suddenly, light footsteps crawled from the door on the other end of the room. "Welcome, children," a voice said, coming from the other end of the door.

Sonic and Knuckles leapt back in shock, and they readied their Star Carriers for battle. The man behind the door simply laughed. The door slowly made its opening, and the man stepped out and into the room. He was somewhat chubby, and his face was almost consumed by a moustache. His body was covered with a red overshirt with over-sized buttons and black pants that seemed like skinny jeans. "I am Robotnik," he declared, "The greatest of scientists in this world. I'm actually amazed that boys of your age have managed to get here without help. You must either have tremendous courage...or some type of death wish. Either way, this could prove to be very interesting. Tell me...do you boys have your Star Carriers?"

"Well, duh!" Sonic snapped. "Why does that matter? Are you gonna fight us?" Robotnik's face lit with a sinister grin. "Well, perhaps," he said. "I think you'd be happy to know that I'm the one who caused this entire crisis, just to give you motivation." Sonic's spine was chilled. "Why!?" he exclaimed. "Why would you do this!? What do possibly have to gain!?" Robotnik's right arm reached midway into the air, and a small, red button was seen in his hand. "You see this?" he asked. "This is the switch that will decide the fate of this school. Think you have what it takes to stop my beast?" Knuckles was unarguably sure of his skills. "We'll take out that monster!" he exclaimed. He turned his head to face Sonic. "Sonic! Wave Transmit! Now!"

"You got it!" Sonic exclaimed. "This'll be fun!" Sonic and Knuckles quickly entered Wave World through Wave Transmit, and as they entered the mainframe of the kitchen computers, their eyes were glued to the giant worm-like beast that took up practically the entire area just with its existence. The worm unleashed a mighty roar, spitting numerous types of saliva and spit from its insides. "This thing is...!" Knuckles managed to say. "This thing is freakin' huge! How the hell're we gonna stop this thing!?" Sonic, examining the mass that was the worm, began to realize that the beast was consumed in flames. "That's it!" he said, noticing a weakness. "Knuckles, this thing is protected by fire, so if we take 'im on with water chips, we can mop the floor with this guy!"

Sonic inserted a water-based chip and began to read the data. "AquaBlade! Insert!" His feet dashed him towards the the giant beast, and his blade struck straight through the massive monster, whose guts and organs splattered in different directions, leaving traces of blood and bodily fluids all across the area. In the real world, massive explosions and implosions were occuring on a regular basis within the kitchen. Robotnik, realizing that his plans were insuccessful, grew furious with the two heroes and began to make his escape. His left hand reached into his left pocket, and it pulled out a small black button. His pointer finger pressed down on the button, teleporting Robotnik to his far-off base. As he began to leave the area, his body turned to face the computers that connected the Wave World. "You will become a nuisance to me," he declared, as if talking to Sonic. "I'll keep an eye on you, boy...you, and your little friends!" With those words said, he disappeared in a beam of light and left the two friends to discover his departure.

As Sonic and Knuckles reentered the real world, the raging flames had finally settled and vanished. Things were still in ruin and shambles, but they managed to maneuver out back into the cafeteria. Tails and Amy were, of course, the first ones to greet them upon their return. Amy's usual approach--a giant, often unwanted lunge into his embrace--was what Sonic had to manage with as he and Knuckles came back into the cafeteria. "H-Hey!" Sonic exclaimed. "Cut that out, Amy! Why does this always happen to me!?" Knuckles found it necessary to laugh. "Guess it's just meant to be, huh, Sonic?" he played. Sonic's cheeks turned a crimson red. "N-No way!" he said, trying to deny Amy. Tails didn't really speak out of delight. He was, more or less, concerned with what had happened today. "Sonic," he began to ask, "What exactly happened in there?"

Sonic's embarrassment quickly turned into a serious look. "This guy..." he began. "Robotnik...I think he said his name was. All that we know is that he was the one who caused this whole mess. He used a giant worm of fire to terrorize the Wave World, which obviously effected the real world. Man...I thought that thing would be a lot tougher...It's almost as if though he didn't even try to beat us..." This statement just made Tails get deeper into thought. "Is that right?" he questioned. "I'm gonna see if I can get more info on this...Robotnik guy. I can only assume that school is closed for today, so I'll be at my house if you guys need me." Sonic's face lit with a grin. "Alright, bud!" he said. "Just be careful, okay?" Tails' head did a slight nod, and he began to run home to uncover the truths behind Robotnik.

"Well, today was eventful," said Knuckles. "We finished our battle, the kitchen exploded, we met an evil psychopath, we killed a giant fire worm, and to top it all off, we managed to get out of there before our flesh was burned off of our bodies." Knuckles sounded incredibly agitated. However, Sonic couldn't help but muster a laugh. Knuckles turned to face his laughing friend. "Dude, what's so funny about that!?" he exclaimed. Sonic managed to stop laughing and he finally said, with the sun shining brightly on his face, "Man, it's just another first day of school!" 


	2. Chapter 2

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 2 The Scoop on Robotnik

Three days have passed ever since the incident at Station Square High. Obviously, the school was currently closed, and it would probably be that way for a while. Sonic and gang have been spending their break searching for information on Robotnik. As we speak, our heroes are currently in Tails' house.

He let out an agitated sigh as he laid there on the soft, red-tinted carpet, leaning up against the wall of the room. "Damn it," said Sonic, "How long is this gonna take?" Tails, Knuckles, and Amy were practically glued to the computer screen, looking for information on their new nemesis. "It's not easy," declared Tails. "I've looked everywhere, and I still can't find anything. His name doesn't even pop up on the net..." Out of impulse, Sonic's legs lunged him to his feet, and they moved him over to the computer and his three friends. His arms rose into the air, and he released an increasing scream as he began to violently bash the computer screen, right as Tails clicked on a forbidden link. "YOU FREAKIN' STUPID COMPUTER!!" he shouted, almost loud enough so the entire world could hear him. "I WILL KILL YOU AND EAT YOUR CHILDREN!!"

"Sonic! Stop that!" Tails exclaimed, trying to save what was left of his computer. With one final bash, the monitor began to flash in different colors, ranging from red to blue, then green to purple. It suddenly stopped flashing, and on the screen there was a web page with paragraphs giving information on Robotnik. As Tails' jaw dropped, Knuckles turned to his relieved friend and gave him an optimistic look. "Well," he said, "That was...different." The gang began to scroll down and view the information. "Doctor Lloyd Ivel Robotnik," began Tails, "A scientist who used to work for the Station Square Department of Science and Technology. It says here that he's won tons of awards for his inventions...and everyone considered him the greatest scientific mind in the world!"

"Say what!?" exclaimed Sonic, his blue hair spiking up in shock. "That's stupid, Tails! You sure your brain didn't get bigger than your head?" Sonic's right hand placed itself gently yet firmly on Tails' shoulder, as his peridot-colored eyes began to scroll themselves through the page. A look of disappointment consumed his face. "What the hell!?" he said, trying hard not to believe what he had just read. "This is...No way! That bastard is the greatest scientist in the world!? That big, overgrown, giant BEHEMOTH!?" Knuckles' right hand smacked itself across Sonic's face, leaving a red mark on his cheek. "Calm down, Sonic," he said. "I know it's shocking, but you gotta keep it down. Your yelling and shouting is giving me a major headache."

"Yeah, but..." Sonic tried to say. "He looks like he ATE some of the staff! How could he be the smartest guy in the world?" Tails' pointer finger lifted itself straight up. "But that's the thing, Sonic," he said, explaining like some kind of scholar. "It also says here that he was fired from his position and kicked out of the department." Amy's face was twisted with a look of confusion. "That's weird..." she said, almost as if it wasn't obvious. "You'd think everyone would honor his work. Does it say why he was kicked out?"

A big lump filled itself in Tails' throat. "Y-Yeah, it does..." he hesitated. "He...He mortally wounded most of the staff at the SSDST with machines and Navis that he created..." The gang was filled with a terrifying chill that froze them all stiff. "Unbelieveable..." said Knuckles, almost in a whisper. "Why would he...do something like that?" Sonic's arms crossed over his chest. "Probably the same reason he attacked our school," he declared. "He's looking for something...but what it is, I don't know." Knuckles' right hand began patting his head. "If he's going through this much trouble," he began, "Then it must be something pretty important. What could be so valuable that you'd be willing to kill innocent people?"

"Hey! Guys!" Tails exclaimed. "Check this out! It's a list of all the places Robotnik has attacked! His first stop was the Station Square Museum...his second was the SSDST...his third was our school...and it says here that his fourth destination is gonna be the Train Station!" Confusion flowed through Sonic's brain. "But wait...why would he want to do anything to the train station?" he questioned. "What's the point in that?" Tails' shoulders shrugged. "I don't really have an answer for that," he admitted. "Maybe...there's something there that he needs! What do you guys think? You wanna go to the station and wait for Robotnik?"

Knuckles and Sonic both clenched their fists, and each punched one hand into their other. "Yeah!" exclaimed Knuckles. "Robotnik's got a huge ass kicking in store for him!" declared Sonic. With those words spoken, it was finally time for our heroes to confront Robotnik, and discover the reality of a massive plan of a magnitude so great, it could very well send the world spiraling into an endless era of chaos. 


	3. Chapter 3

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 3 Showdown at the Station

It felt as if though hours had swung by, when in reality, mere minutes have counted away. Sonic's feet were causing him to pace back and forth with his arms crossed across his chest. He came to a sudden stop, and his arms raised into the air and his fingers dug deep into his skull. "How much longer!?" he exclaimed. "This is taking forever!" The four friends were waiting patiently--well, let's be honest; MOST of them--at the train station, awaiting their nemesis to show up at any possible time. Knuckles managed to find a chuckle from his commen sense. "It's only been a couple of minutes, Sonic," he said. "He's not just gonna--"

Before Knuckles had the chance to finish his sentence, the emergency bells began to ring, their echoes spreading throughout the entire station. "Alert! Alert! Intruder detected in the Control Room area! All staff and faculty evacuate the building immediately!" The area was consumed in red flashes that indicated a threat. Sonic and gang knew from the start that Robotnik was here, and they began to run towards the direction of the control room, which was directly north of their current location. As they continued down the long, seemingly-endless hallway, they witnessed bloodstains all around them; on windows, all over the ground, everywhere...People were being killed by an unknown menace. As they reached the control room, Knuckles' fists lunged into the double doors, causing them to crash down onto the ground. The four heroes froze in fear as they witnessed a materialized monster devouring the corpse of an innocent being, blood dripping from its sharp, red-stained fangs. Just then, the elevator on the other side of the room opened widely, revealing Robotnik.

"You!?" he exclaimed. "What are you children doing here? This is no place for--" He paused, and his eyes closely examined the face of his rivals. He then released a scary, intimidating laugh. "Ohhh, it's you!" he exclaimed in a playful manner. "Welcome, welcome! If I knew you and your friends were coming, I would've arranged a special show! But I guess you'll just have to settle with him!" His pointer finger pointed straight at the vicious beast that seemed to be waiting patiently for orders. "This is my precious creation, Beowolf!" he declared. "He acts only upon my orders, and he follows them without hesitation. Hmm...I have a splendid idea! How about giving you the chance of facing him in a Netbattle? That sounds fun to me! What say you, Sonic?"

"Shut up!" shouted the blue-haired wonder. "Why are you killing these people!? Answer me!!" His temper was increasing with every second. Robotnik found it necessary to question Sonic's motives. "Why does it matter?" he asked. "Do you truly need a reason to fight me? That's ridiculous. If you can't fight without a motive..." His fingers snapped, and the vicious Beowolf began to unleash monstrous roars. Sonic and gang quickly transfered into Wave World, and they prepared themselves for battle. Just as they got into a defensive formation, the ground below them began to crumble and shake. Knuckles reacted quickly by announcing, "Jump back!!" The gang, following his advice, leapt high into the air and landed safely on what seemed to be blocks in the Wave World. Beowolf had emerged from under the fabrics of the Wave World, and his mouth began to glow a faint yellow color. Tails quickly realized what the beast's intentions were. "He's charging for an attack!" he shouted to his comrades. "Get ready to dodge! It's gonna be huge!"

Within seconds, Beowolf unleashed an enormous yellow laser attack from within his mouth. With its wide range, the blast destroyed every object within a large radius, including the blocks that the heroes remained on until this attack was launched. Sonic reappeared under Beowolf's jaw, which remained open. His face lit with a smile. "You're gone!" he exclaimed. "WideSword! Insert!" Sonic's blade struck straight through the beast's nose, greatly damaging it and throwing it into a state of immense pain. Suddenly, Beowolf dwelled into the ground once more, and it began to move around the Wave World so that it could gain the upper hand. Sonic began to question where the beast would reappear. "Damn it..." he said. "I hate it when the bad guy has a fetish for the underground!"

As Sonic's sentence came to an end, the ground below him suddenly crumbled, and Beowolf arose from its remains. His long, sharp claws cut right across Sonic's chest, tearing off some of his clothing and leaving a deep gash in his torso. Blood was spilling from the wound, and it continued to gush out. Sonic was rendered practically useless for this battle, until his wound slowly began to heal. "Recovery 80!" Those words were heard as Sonic's wound was healed due to the chip's effect, and Tails and Knuckles suddenly landed onto the ground to aid their friend. "Are you all right!?" asked Knuckles. Sonic gave his friends a slight nod, and they began to insert new battlechips to defeat Beowolf. "BronzeAxe! Insert!" Knuckles' weapon of choice was the BronzeAxe, which was a reinforced axe with reasonable power. "Hi Cannon! Insert!" Tails' arm formed into the shape of a blue, large cannon, and he aimed its fire at the beast.

Beowolf began to charge at the team, and within seconds, it was already close enough to attack. Knuckles went in for an assault. "You're dead!!" he shouted. The axe's blade clashed firmly with the beast's claws, and they began to exchange slashes until both were damaged from one another's attacks. Knuckles managed to remain on his feet even after a huge impact. His face lit with a slight grin. "That program you gave me helped out after all, Tails!" he announced. Tails gave Knuckles a happy little laugh. Sonic turned to face Tails and asked, "What program?"

"PushBack!" Tails announced. "Even when Knuckles is damaged, he won't stagger or be pushed back from a massive attack!" Sonic's jaw dropped in amazement. "Hey, Tails!" he said. "You got somethin' for me? Maybe it can help!" Tails quickly reached into his pocket and found a small, blue square program. "Maybe this!" he exclaimed. "Insert! PowerCharge!" Sonic's body began to glow a light-blue color, and the program had been installed. Sonic's left arm formed into his traditional buster, which gained more than triple the power due to the PowerCharge program. He carefully aimed his buster at the currently downed Beowolf. His shot was finally strong enough to overpower the mighty beast, and if it hit him, the battle would be over. Beowolf staggered to its feet, and all it could do was stare straight at Sonic, who was ready to unleash the full potential of his buster shot. His face lit with a traditional grin, and the buster aligned perfectly with the beast.

"SUCK ON THIS!!" shouted Sonic, as the energy from his buster arm shot straight at Beowolf. The blast hit the beast point-blank, breaking the monster into various pieces and sending them flying across the area. Blood and internal organs were spilled just about everywhere, with the head of the beast on the ground. Most of the blood that spewed in all four corners of the world covered the clothing of our heroes, all excluding Amy, since she was behind the three who actually did the fighting. Weakened by the blast, Sonic suddenly fell to his knees in exhaustion. "We...did it..." he said.

In the real world, explosions and technical errors of all kind were being caused, and Robotnik had already fled the scene. The gang quickly ran out of the building, dashing towards the exits at top-speed. Sonic, on the other hand, was going nowhere fast. His exhaustion was too much for him, and as they managed to exit through the exit doors, he fell to the ground unconcious. Amy quickly turned to face Sonic, who was lifeless on the cold, concrete ground. "Sonic!!" she exclaimed. She kneeled down to examine her friend, and she gave him a couple of tugs until Tails and Knuckles came over. "He looks terrible!" exclaimed Tails. "Quick! Let's get him to the hospital!"

Knuckles lifted Sonic onto his shoulder, and he attempted to carry him all the way to the hospital. Along the way, Knuckles didn't even attempt to say a word. All he could think about was the previous battle they had barely won. (If this is what happens when we win a battle...then what happens if we lose?) 


	4. Chapter 4

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 4 Deal With a Devil

His eyes slowly opened to see that he was laying upon a white, soft bed in a small, seemingly cluttered room. His arms slowly lifted his torso to sit up against the pillow his head was laying on. "What...?" he said. "Where...am I?" Just as he began to come to, his friends entered the room in a worried manner. "Sonic! You're okay! Tails declared. Amy's eyes were seen with small drops of tears. "Thank god!" she exclaimed. "I thought you'd never wake up!" Sonic gave her a confused look. "Gee, thanks," he said. "I won't worry about that." He attempted to ignore Amy and turned to face Tails and Knuckles. "You guys...what happened?" he questioned.

"You beat Beowolf!" said Tails. "However, in the process of beating him, you drained most of your energy...and most of your life with it. We had to get you here before anything else happened." Sonic nodded his head very slowly. "I...see..." he said, sounding exhausted. "Man...I get where you're coming from. I feel like a piece of shit." Knuckles found it necessary to laugh. "Well put!" he said, almost happily. "Dude, you're really heavy. I can't believe I even managed to drag your ass all the way here to the hospital! The doctors had to help me the rest of the way!"

"Oh..." said Sonic, sounding slightly depressed. "Sorry, guys, for making you worry." A frown lit the faces of his now confused friends. "What're you sorry for?" asked Tails. "We're friends. That's what we do!" Sonic attempted a grin, and he managed to hold it. "Thanks, Tails," he said. "So, anyways...you guys hear anything about Robotnik?" The three friends shook their heads in denial. Sonic's head tilted downwards, and his face was consumed with a sad look. "Oh..." he said, almost as a whisper. "That blows." His sadness suddenly switched to happiness. "But I'll betcha we'll find something soon enough!"

"I sure hope so!" exclaimed Tails. "Robotnik's attacks seem to be getting worse and worse every time he goes somewhere...If whatever he's looking for is really THAT important--so important that he's willing to kill innocent people...then we have to stop him before he gets any closer to his goal!" Knuckles gave Tails a certified nod. "Agreed," he said. "I just hope we can find Robotnik and stop him before he does anymore serious damage..."

"So, what now?" asked Amy, finding it necessary to blurt into the conversation. "Sonic's regained conciousness, and we can keep searching for Robotnik whenever we're ready!" Sonic gave Amy a nod. "I agree with her!" he exclaimed. "Let's get going! We don't have any time to lose!" With that said, Sonic's legs leaped him out of the hospital bed and onto the floor, but he fell face-first onto the cold, marble tiles that lay beneath him. "Owwww...!" he said. His eyes lifted themselves to examine his friends. "Umm...would you guys...help me up?"

Sonic managed to convince the doctors that he was fine, and so, the four friends returned to Tails' house to continue their searching. On their way home, Sonic noticed the sign of his favorite restaraunt, Otherworld BBQ. His face lit with a wide, cheerful grin. "Hey, guys!" he exclaimed. "Wanna grab some grub before getting home?" The three friends looked dead at each other, and they all gave a slight nod. "I don't see why not!" exclaimed Tails. "Let's eat!"

The four friends stepped through the black-painted door that gave entry to the Otherworld BBQ, where they would enjoy an otherwordly meal for an otherworldly price. By the end of the meal, our heroes continued their walk home, this time with full bellies and hunger appeased. Upon entering Tails' house, they returned to a home that had been absolutely demolished by an unknown force. "Wha...What happened here!?" Tails exclaimed. "Mom!? Where's my mom!?" Tails quickly began to dash through the house looking for his mother, until Sonic came across a white piece of paper that was wrinkled and thrashed on the floor. He bent over to pick it up, and with great care, he managed to open the paper to read its contents without tearing a piece off of it. "Tails!" he shouted. "It's a note...from Robotnik!"

"Tidings, heroes!" began Sonic. "I do hope that you obtain this letter before anything happens. I hope you don't mind that I searched your homes for my prized artifact. I have also decided to take a certain mother from a certain orange-haired little brat that I know will expect her back. I'll make you a deal, heroes: if you agree to work with me, I will set her free. Meet me at the entrance to Casinopolis at 6 p.m. sharp...or else you'll have a hard time finding your mother!" Upon reading the horrid ransom note, Sonic was filled with anger. "That son of a bitch!!" he shouted. "I'll tear 'im in half for this!"

"Sonic, wait!" exclaimed Knuckles. "Think about this for a minute. Robotnik wants us to work with him, and if we do, he'll let Tails' mom go. It may be a trap, but...I don't see how we have any other choice. I mean, don't get me wrong, but this guy just won't quit!" Sonic punched the wall in rage. "That rat bastard!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe this...That guy just won't let up!" He stuttered with his next sentence, but he found the words to speak. "I guess...we have to go! Let's head to Casinopolis!"

Time passed, and what seemed like minutes quickly turned into hours, until the destined 6 p.m. came around the corner. It was finally time to head for Casinopolis, the new attraction of Station Square that would surely bring in a crowd. The heroes waited impatiently outside the doors, Sonic pacing back and forth in a single-file line. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. "Where the hell is he!?" Knuckles lifted his right arm into the air, and his pointer finger lunged out as if it was indicating something was in sight. "Up there!" he said. It was none other than Robotnik, who was tucked safely in a flying machine made of absolutely pure steel and composed of high-class technical properties. "Ahh!" he said, playing with the heroes. "It's good to see you this evening! I trust you're here for our little arrangement?"

"Cut the shit, Robotnik!" exclaimed Tails. "Where's my mom!? If you've harmed a single hair on her head, I'll--" Before he could finish, Robotnik interrupted him. "I assure you," he began, "I am keeping your mother safe from harm. Now, then...on to business. I have called you all here to help me...'find' something of great importance. If you agree to help me 'find it," I'll let your mother go." Sonic's face twisted with an angry look. "You mean STEAL it, don't you!?" he questioned. "Fine! We'll help! Whaddya want us to do?"

"Ohohoho!" Robotnik laughed. "Looks like someone's eager to assist me!" Sonic lifted a hand and clenched it into a fist. "Bite my ass!" he exclaimed. "I'm only helping you for Tails!" A twisted smile lit Robotnik's face. "I know, I know," he said, as if trying to comfort the heroes. "Now, I'll tell you what you're going to get for me. Deep within the mainframe of Casinopolis' sewers, there's a security block that is keeping me from getting the data I want. It's the data of the legendary artifacts...the almighty Chaos Emeralds!"

"Chaos Emeralds...?" Tails asked. "Wait...I thought those things were destroyed thousands of years ago! How can one of them be here!?" Robotnik continued with his lecture. "They're unable to be destroyed," he retaliated. "If they were destroyed, our very world would fall to pieces and eventually crumble to nothing. That is how powerful they are, and that is the power I seek." Knuckles clenched a fist. "Then forget that!" he exclaimed. "If you're gonna harness that kind of power, then what's the point!? That's too much power to give to someone like you!"

"Maybe so," Robotnik continued, "But I'm afraid you don't have many choices in this situation. Anyways, I have here the key that will open the blockade in your way. If you can get to the Chaos Emerald data and bring it back to me, I'll let your mother go. How does that sound?" Sonic bent over to tighten the laces of his shoes, and he sat back up with a smile. "What're we waiting for?" he said. "Let's do this!" He then ran straight into the doors of a place he was otherwise not allowed to enter, leaving behind no signs of stopping. His friends followed shortly after, all except for Tails. As he began to catch up, he suddenly stopped and turned to face Robotnik. "You better keep your promise!" he exclaimed, as he continued his way to his friends.

In the sewers network, viruses after viruses were spitting from all corners of the cyberworld. They were tamed viruses that were there to protect the data that slept further inside. Our heroes began slicing and shooting away as they encountered the viruses, hurrying along to the end of the path to the sealed data. Eventually, they came across a giant, gold-tinted security block that was guarding the rest of the path. "I think this key'll open the door!" Sonic exclaimed as he turned the key into the block, releasing the seal and allowing passage. They all continued their way to the emerald data, until they finally reached a large, damaged hole in the floor. Having no time to waste, it was now or never, so the four friends dived recklessly into the hole, hoping that it would lead them to their desired destination.

Their feet landed them safely on the ground below them. The room was cold, damp, and filled with an ominous air. The walls around them were tainted and scarred, and the floor barely looked stable. In the middle of the room was a shining silver light, one that shined throughout the entire room. It was difficult to be oblivious to it. The light was coating a beautiful shining silver crystal in the shape of a diamond. "This must be it..." said Sonic, amazed at its glorious shine. "The Chaos Emerald..." Sonic's legs dashed him towards the shining artifact, and his hands placed themselves firmly on it. As he removed the emerald from the pedestal, the four friends were forced to jack out and return to the real world, outside of Casinopolis.

Robotnik, as expected, was waiting there for them to return with his data, Tails' mother standing right next to him in cuffs. "Oh, good!" he exclaimed. "Your son brought me what I wanted!" Tails' mother began to walk over to the four friends, and Tails had the Chaos Emerald in his hand walking towards Robotnik. His arm reached out to hand Robotnik the emerald, and Robotnik snatched it right from his hands. "Finally! That's one down...six to go!" His machine began to turn his body the other direction, and he flew off into the sunset that depicted an upcoming omen of evil. "We just gave him...a Chaos Emerald..." said Knuckles, almost in a whisper. Sonic's face drowned itself with a sad look. "If one Chaos Emerald has that much power," he began, "Then...what happens when you get all seven...?" 


	5. Chapter 5

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 5 The Festival

The day was still young, and the sun shined brightly and brilliantly through the blue, clear sky. Cheerful birds of different varieties were seen singing as their wings soared them through the skies. The inside of the blue-painted house on the third street was somewhat different, however. Inside was our heroine, Amy Rose, who seemed to be getting ready for a very important occasion. "Today's gonna be a great day!" she said, giggling. "Our school finally started back up...and now, they're hosting a commemmorative festival! It's gonna be great...and I'm inviting Sonic to go with me! This is gonna rock!" She grabbed her small, pink purse and dashed out the door.

Meanwhile, at Sonic's house, our hero was not ready for such a day to come. In fact, he was pretty much fast asleep at eleven o' clock in the morning. Drool slipping from his mouth, he was far within the depths of his dreams, unaware that Amy was only moments away from his house. Just then, his door bell rang, and the cute, cheerful voice of a young woman came through the door. "Sonic!" she said. "It's me! Amy!" Our hero barely managed to get out of his bed, and his eyes slowly began to open. His legs slowly carried him downstairs, and his right hand reached for the doorknob and opened the door. Little did he realize that he was not wearing anything but a small, skinny pair of blue boxers. Amy's eyes were glued not to his arms or his seemingly attractive face, but what was between his legs. It looked as if though his cash and prizes were just hanging out in the air. Her cheeks, and eventually her entire face, turned a bright crimson red. She tried her best to avoid this scene and attempted to ask her question.

"S...Sonic?" Amy began. "Umm...Umm...w-would you...consider...g-going to...the...sc-school festival w-w-with me?" Sonic's eyes still half-closed and his mind still placed in dreamland, all he could manage to muster was a very quiet, hesitated "Mm-hmm." Amy's cheeks returned to her normal color, and her arms lunged around Sonic's torso, and she then remembered that her love was more than three-quarters naked, and slowly threw herself off of his body. "Umm...I'll see you later!" she exclaimed. "Be there at six! Tails and Knuckles are coming, too!" With those words spoken, she turned away and happily walked back home.

Knuckles and Tails, however, were at Tails' house creating new types of programs and testing them in battle. "Okay, Knuckles," Tails said, with a smile on his face. "Try this one. It's called FloatShoes! This program will let you float over gaps for a short period of time!" Knuckles looked at Tails from cyberworld in amazement. "Are you serious!?" he exclaimed. "That's...incredible! Floating through the air...that'll be really helpful!" Stylish new boots then threw themselves onto his feet, and he began to experiment with them. His feet launched him off the ground and into the air, and he attempted to fall towards a large gap in Cyberworld. Unfortunately, he did not expect the program to be a prototype, and therefore, it did not succeed. Realizing the shoes were not working, the only words Tails heard from his red-haired friend before he hit the ground were, "I hate these fucking boots!"

Tails, back in the real world, looked away in shame. "Crap..." he said, almost depressed. "I thought for SURE they would work!" Knuckles, managing to get up from the fall, began to brush off his shirt. "Say, Tails," he began, "I think we should get ready for the party soon. It's already...umm..." He looked on his left arm. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. "Completely forgot...we don't have watches in Cyberworld. Tails, you got the time?" Tails replied with a smile. "It's 4:36 right now!" he said. "We have about an hour before we go to the party. Whaddya want to do?" Knuckles' face lit with a grin. "What else?" he said. "Throw out some viruses! And make 'em tough!" Tails gave a slight chuckle. "It's always training with you, isn't it?" he said. "Okay, then. Ready, Knuckles?" Knuckles lifted his hand and clenched it into a fist. "I'm always ready to kick ass!" he exclaimed.

Meanwhile, at around 5:10, our blue-haired wonder was doing something he thought he would never have to do. "I have to actually dress NICE!?" he exclaimed. "This dating stuff is TERRIBLE!" Despite the groans and the cursing to himself, he managed to slip himself into a flashy black overshirt with various dragons painted on the shirt, almost as if though they were consuming the overshirt itself. He put it on over a black muscle shirt, which normally would make him look pretty good. "Okay," he said. "I guess...I'm ready. I better head over to Amy's house." His legs moved him out the door and on his way down the street to Amy's house.

Amy was still at her house getting ready for the big day, even though she looked pretty much ready to go. She was dressed with a beautiful pink dress that, obviously, matched her hair. Her lips were masked with shiny black lipstick. She had eyeliner on her that made her eye lashes an even darker black, and she was wearing gorgeous violet slippers that shined almost too much. "Ohhhh!" she said, as if she was worried. "He'll be here any minute now! I HAVE to look perfect! This could be the one chance I have to be with Sonic!" With everything she needed gathered, she bolted out the door and onto the front porch, where she awaited her knight in blue hair, who surprisingly came quickly so that they had time to spare to meet up with Tails and Knuckles. As he approached her, she couldn't help but blush. "Hi, Sonic!" she said, a little too excited. Sonic's eyes shifted in different directions, and he finally replied to her greeting. "Uhh, hey," he said. "I, umm...brought you these." Sonic handed Amy a lovely bouquet of roses, which looked lively and extremely healthy. Amy practically flipped when she saw this. She began to hug and squeeze Sonic for the gift.

"Ohh, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed, as if she wanted the whole world to hear her. Sonic was trying to break away from her. "Okay, okay!" he said. "Lemme go! I can't breathe!" She let him go and suddenly slithered her arm into his, as if Sonic was going to escort her the whole way there. "Shall we?" she said. Sonic gave her a slight nod. "Guess so," he said, trying to force a smile. They then began their walk to Station Square High, where their party would be taking place. Along the way, various thoughts flowed through Sonic's mind. (Damn it...) he would very commonly think. (Why does she like ME? There are plenty of other guys out there to LEECH onto! Why's it gotta be ME!? I don't know what I did to deserve this. I mean, she's kinda cute, yeah, but...she's not my type at all. Man...I can't believe I agreed to this date...But I didn't really agree to it, either! I was still half asleep! I got cheated!)

They had finally arrived at their designated high school. Various lights were flashing all around the campus, and countless people were seen walking around and just hanging out, doing what they could do to have a good time. Sonic and Amy had met up with Tails and Knuckles around the center of campus. "Tails! Knuckles!" Sonic exclaimed. "Good t' see you guys! What's up?" Knuckles and Sonic did their usual handshake. "Not a whole lot, dude!" Knuckles said. "We were waiting for you guys here for a while. What the hell took you so long?" Sonic's eyes scrolled backwards to give Amy a disappointed look, unbeknowst to her. "Miss I-need-makeup-on-every-part-of-my-body over here took forever and a day," he said, with a hint of disgust in his tone of voice. Amy's cheeks turned a bright red. "It wasn't my fault!" she demanded. "If YOU would've swung by my house earlier, we would--"

Before she could finish her sentence, fireworks shot into the air, all in varying colors and sounds. It was a truly beautiful sight to behold. Sonic and gang were dazzled by the flashing lights and sounds of such an amazing show. "C'mon!" said Tails. "Let's move in to get a better view!" All agreeing, the gang dashed towards the direction of the fireworks. Numerous cheerleaders were seen doing performances around a large stand, where members of the football team were pretending to throw passes to the audience. Just then, Principal Vector came to the stage looking flashy with a black trenchcoat and black sunglasses. "Good evening, everyone!" he shouted in the microphone. "How are we all doing today?" His question rose a huge roar from his audience. "I can't hear you!" he shouted back. The crowd shouted and yayed even louder and longer. Vector's head nodded in acceptance. "That's better!" he exclaimed. "Now, before we continue, please allow me to thank you all, as students and teachers, for your patience and support in making sure this school was reborn and renewed."

The audience began clapping and whistling. Vector's hand rose itself into the air as to signal a stopping point. "We have finished repairing this school ever since that horrible incident with the cafeteria," he continued. "And to direct this festival to the whole reason why we're throwing it...I give you Sonic, Knuckles, and their friends!" The spotlight shined brightly on the four friends. "They are the reason we can continue to come here, to this school!" he exclaimed. "They single-handedly took down the menace that destroyed most of our school! Sonic, Knuckles, please come to the stage!" Sonic and Knuckles gave each other a grin, and they ran to the stage with all haste. Vector kindly handed the microphone to Knuckles, and he politely took it from his hand. "Thank you, Principal Vector," he began.

"Now," began Knuckles, "Whaddya say we step this festival up a notch, huh?" The crowd began to scream and shout in approval, and Knuckles flipped out his Star Carrier and turned to face his blue-haired friend. "Well, Sonic?" he said. "You ready to get trounced?" Sonic gave Knuckles a confused look, but it shortly after turned into a grin. "No way!" he exclaimed. "I'M gonna do the trouncing!" Sonic flipped out his Star Carrier from his right pocket and got ready to fight. They both jacked into Cyberworld, and with that, they arrived on a battlefield filled with festive lights and appeal. It was like being in a virtual carnival, and various programs were circled around the large arena Sonic and Knuckles were standing on. Some were shouting in excitement, some were whistling, and some were waving their programmers' numbers in the air and shouting, "Call me!" Knuckles gave Sonic a mischievous grin.

"Hah," he said, "You sure have one hell of a fan club, Sonic!" Sonic laughed. "Don't know why!" he grinned. "Well? You ready?" Knuckles had already prepared a BronzeAxe battle chip before Sonic finished his sentence. "You know I am!" he exclaimed as he dashed towards Sonic with all haste. Sonic kept his cool and reached for a battle chip in his pocket, and he ended up pulling out ElectroSword. "This'll do nicely!" declared Sonic. "ElectroSword! Download!" Sonic's right arm grew into the shape and form of a blade of lightning, and within seconds, Knuckles attempted to slash through Sonic, but Sonic lifted his arm to block the attack with the sword. Knuckles seemed to be surprised by the block, and Sonic looked directly into his eyes as he said, "Gotcha."

His sword broke apart Knuckles' BronzeAxe, scattering pieces of it all around the arena, and sending Knuckles flying to the ground. However, he managed to sprint back to his feet and straight at his opponent once more, but Sonic simply readied his attack, and at the right time, he sliced right through Knuckles, causing blood to spill from his torso. He was almost mortally wounded. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. "After all of this...I still can't win!" He readied a Hi-Cannon chip, and he aimed it directly at his opponent. "No...I won't lose! Not again!" Sonic's attention was glued to the massive blue cannon that was shortly going to fire at him. "Uh oh...!" he said. The cannon began to illuminate with a energetic light, and after about five seconds, the only word that came out of Knuckles' mouth was "DIE!!" The cannon then fired a large blast from its mouth, and it shot directly at Sonic, who barely had the mind to get out of the way of such a devastating blast. But as he dashed away from it, parts of his body were suddenly cut, leaving behind blood marks and scratches.

"Ouch!" Sonic said, almost a little too quietly. His head turned towards Knuckles, who was panting out of exhaustion. He was suddenly filled with concern. "Knuckles...?" he said to his friend. "Hey, you okay, buddy?" Knuckles quickly looked up and grew angry with his opponent. "Shut up, Sonic!" he exclaimed. "I'm...I'm not losing to you again! No more...!" Sonic's sword disappeared, and he began to walk towards Knuckles, but before he got too close, the Cyberworld started to get hit from an earthquake. Sonic's eyes suddenly glued themselves to the ground, and he quickly grabbed Knuckles and dashed incredibly high into the air and landed on a convenientally placed block of data. Unknown to Knuckles, a giant sand serpent emerged from under the ground, and it somehow managed to jump high enough to reach the two heroes. As it launched itself towards them, Sonic noticed a suspicious marking on the snake's right side. It was in the shape of a man's head, covered with a long moustache and a chubby face. Sonic immediately knew what was going on. "Tails!" he shouted, trying to get his attention from the real world.

Tails suddenly heard his voice, and he dashed towards the stage and attempted to listen to his friend. "What is it, Sonic?" he asked. "You sound angry!" Sonic quickly dashed out of the snake's way, as it was attemtpting to swallow the friends whole. The snake's fangs were stuck in the cube they had previously been on, so it was immobile for a time. Sonic carefully placed Knuckles down and began to communicate with Tails. "Tails!" he exclaimed. "This giant sand serpent suddenly showed up and attacked us! But I'm telling you, it's not by surprise! Someone planned this to happen! And I know who...Robotnik!!" Tails gasped. "How do you know!?" he exclaimed. "But if that thing is in Cyberworld, then Robotnik...has to be among this crowd!" Sonic suddenly grew a CyberSword and blocked as the giant serpent dashed straight towards them, and he managed to fend off the beast's fangs with his blade. He threw the beast into a nearby wall by forcing it off of his blade. "Will you just fuck off for a minute!?" he exclaimed. "God damn it! Sorry, Tails! I need you to find Robotnik and stop him! I don't know exactly how long I can hold this thing with Knuckles injured like he is! Hurry up, bud!"

"I'm on my way!" exclaimed Tails. Tails began to run off of the stage and into the crowd, but not before Amy stopped him. "What's going on in there, Tails!?" she exclaimed. Tails was attempting to explain, but he began to stutter his words, and he eventually sighed and gave up. He pulled out his Star Carrier and connected it to Cyberworld in order to show a holographic image of what was going on, only to send everyone into a screaming frenzy and making them dash away from the area and get to safety. Amy's eyes were glued to the image, but Tails continued to search for Robotnik. His legs moved him to practically every corner of the area, pushing aside the screaming people so he could continue his pursuit. But before he got any further, the image that was displayed before everyone suddenly disappeared. A shady figure dressed in a black cloak stood on the stage with a switch in his hand, which was obviously used to switch off the image. "May I have your attention, please," the man said. "I have an important announcement to make."

Everyone that was once screaming and running around aimlessly suddenly stopped moving and looked straight at the man. "Today is the start of a new era!" the man continued. "I have finally gathered the various programs all across the world for this moment! Today, I will make history...and I shall destroy everything you know and love in order to build a new world over it! Anyone who does not wish to be killed in the new era must join me for the revolution! I am..." The man's right hand grabbed the top of his cloak, and it instantly flashed the cloak off of the man, revealing it to be Robotnik. "Doctor Robotnik!" he said. Tails suddenly dashed towards the stage and prepared his Star Carrier for battle. "Robotnik!!" he exclaimed. "This ends now!" His Star Carrier jacked him into Cyberworld, where he met up with Sonic and the injured Knuckles.

"Sorry I'm late!" Tails said. "Robotnik's ranting about some new revolution! We have to stop--" As Tails turned to face his friends, the giant serpent that had once threatened them was dead, torn into numerous pieces, its blood and venom scattered all across the area. Tails' jaw practically dropped as he saw Sonic jump safely to the ground to meet his friend. "Hey, bud!" he said. "What took you so long?" Tails managed to snap out of his state of shock and explain to Sonic what was happening in the real world. "Robotnik has plans for some kind of revolution!" he said. "He's planning to destroy everything and build a new world over our world's ruins!" Sonic laughed at the sound of words that didn't really get to him. "Ehh, that guy's always a few fries short of a happy meal," he said. "Besides, destroy the world? C'mon, man. How many people have tried to do that and failed?"

"...Thousands," Tails said. "But that's different! Robotnik actually has the brainpower to do it...not to mention the supplies! I don't think not worrying about it would be the best thing to do, Sonic." Sonic's finger began to twist in his left ear. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said. "But what're we gonna do about it? It's not like we know what his plan is. How'm I gonna stop someone if I don't know what he's planning?" Tails slowly looked behind Sonic, only to see an unconcious Knuckles laying on the ground, bruised even worse than before. "What happened, Sonic?" he questioned. "Is Knuckles..." Sonic shook his head. "No," he said. "He's just...really tired. It was pretty much because of him that I took out the serpent. See, we were cornered by the serpent, and he tugged on my shoulder to tell me something. He said that there was a strong program in his pocket, and he reached for it. He gave me the program, and he managed to stand up and fight the serpent. He pulled out an M-Cannon chip and fired at the serpent, hitting a direct blow. The serpent lived afterwards, obviously, so I used the program to finish the thing off."

"BusterSword..." Tails whispered. "So, wait, Knuckles gave you the BusterSword program? Then that's why you won...That program grants you a limitless supply of CyberSword chips for close to 12 seconds. It's no wonder you took it out!" Sonic's cheeks turned a slight crimson. "Hey, come on," he said. "You're gonna make me blush! Anyways, guess we better jack out. Amy's probably worried sick about me..." Tails gave Sonic a suspicious smile. "Soooo," he said, "How long has this been going on, Sonic?" Sonic started to flip out. "W-What!?" he exclaimed. "N-No, dude! It happened this morning! She came up on my doorstep looking all properly dressed and asked me to go to the festival with her! We're not...dating! Eww!"

Tails began to laugh. "Man, Sonic," he said, "You're hilarious when it comes to girls! Well, we better not make her worry anymore, huh?" Sonic gave Tails a disappointed sigh. "Yeah..." he said. "Otherwise, she won't shut up about it." Tails jacked out of the Cyberworld, only to see that Robotnik wasn't on stage any longer. In fact, he was not there at all. He had made his escape. In Cyberworld, Sonic grabbed Knuckles and jacked out, putting them both on the same stage. As they returned to the stage, the people who were left began to cheer and clap unlike any time they have before. Knuckles managed to arise, and he stood straight up next to his spiky-haired friend. Sonic looked over at Knuckles and gave him a satisfied smile. He then picked up Knuckles' right arm and raised it into the air. The crowd of people began to cheer even harder. Sonic gave Knuckles a happy grin. "You did good, amigo!" he said happily. Knuckles gave Sonic a smile. "Yeah," he said, "You too, Sonic!" Fireworks were shot in the sky, celebrating not the crisis that occured, but the two heroes that never seem to get too tired to save the ones they love. 


	6. Chapter 6

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 6 Nightmares And the Twins of Wonder

The day was surprisingly cold, despite the bright, shining sun hanging within the vastness of the blue, clear sky. Our heroes were all at Tails' house, having a very detailed discussion of what their next objective was. It has been almost two weeks ever since the festival incident, and the team of four are planning to stop Robotnik's twisted dreams of a new world in his own image. "How the hell're we gonna do this?" asked Knuckles. "I don't see any superhuman powers spitting out from you, Sonic." Sonic crossed his arms and gave Knuckles a pout. "I don't see anything coming from you, either," he claimed, "Except maybe a couple thousand wads of spit flying all over the place!" Knuckles and Sonic began to roughhouse, rolling all over the ground trying to hit one another. Tails simply shook his head and turned to face Amy, who was surprisingly sane about this whole mess. "Any ideas, Amy?" he asked. All she could do was shake her head. "Nope," she said. "I don't really have any idea how we could go about fighting this guy. He seems...a little TOO prepared."

"Yeah, he is," Sonic suddenly stated. "Hmmmmm..." he put his right hand on his chin as if he was trying to think. A light bulb suddenly began to flash in his head. "I got something!" he exclaimed. "Why don't we go find those...those...umm...what were they called again...?" Tails gave Sonic a confused look, and he attempted to read his mind. "Are you talking about...the Chaos Emeralds?" he asked. Sonic slapped his fist onto his palm. "Yeah! That's it!" he said. "Why don't we find the Chaos Emeralds and confront Robotnik head-on? That way, we can stop him ourselves!" Tails gave Sonic yet another look of confusion. "Umm..." he protested. "I don't know about you, but I have no idea where they are. Those things are ancient data...it'll take forever to find out where they are. And even if we find them, they're likely to be under high guard. I don't know exactly how we'd go about finding them..."

Sonic began to rub the inside of his ear in disgust. "Well," he argued, "It's better than just sitting here doing nothing about it, isn't it? But man..." His arms crossed and he was sent into deep thought. "A new world in his own image...I wonder what that'll be like..." Sonic then began to picture Robotnik's twisted dream. What was conjured up were disturbing images of Robotnik having a large group of robots that were programmed to be females. One thought lead to another, and the mind bubbles suddenly popped, giving Sonic a sudden feeling of awkwardness and disgust. "Ya know what?" he said with a tone difficult to explain. "Never mind. I don't wanna know anymore." Knuckles thought it necessary to jump into the conversation. "Well, Tails," he declared, "You're usually the one who figures out what to do next, so I'm not gonna bother with it. I'll let you decide what the plan is. As for me, well...I'm going home. I'm tired as all hell." Knuckles' legs lifted him up and his feet planted themselves firmly on the ground. His head turned to face Sonic and Amy, and he gave them both a half-smile. "See you both tomorrow," he said as he began to walk out the door and back home. The door was heard shutting behind him.

"Yeah..." said Sonic, attempting to force back a yawn and failing. "I'm gettin' tired, too. If you guys get any good ideas, lemme know, okay?" Sonic began on his way towards the door, and he reached for the knob and turned it, opening the door. It shut behind him. The night soon fell upon the sky, and it was triggered into a pitch black with white shades from the glowing moon in the sky. Sonic was laying rather effortlessly on top of his roof, his eyes glued to the brilliant moon. "Wow..." he said. "The moon sure is beautiful tonight..." His eyes shut very slowly. He began to fade into his dreams, which ended up being horrible nightmares...ones of his childhood. A few hours swiftly passed, and Sonic was tossing and turning in his sleep, hoping to escape the nightmares. Finally, he launched awake, letting out a frightened shout. Sweat dripped from the sides of his head. His nightmares had been around ever since he was a young boy. They could never be forgotten...they were on such a grave level.

The next morning, our spiky, blue-haired hero still restless and tired, decided to take a stroll to the neighborhood park. It was rather quiet, and only a few people were there. Of course, it was the bright morning of the day, when no one was really awake. A few children were swinging on the swing set, enjoying their time and laughing. Sonic couldn't help but look. A few seconds later, his face lit with a half-smile. But then, memories of his cursed past began flashing through his mind. He grabbed his head with force, as if trying to shake something out of it. He was giving off painful grunts and groans. Words of a familiar person spread throughout his mind. (This is the life you were born to live...) These words repeatedly flowed through Sonic's head. They were the words of someone he knew...far too well. A few seconds later, he began to feel weak and uneasy, almost sick. His eyes were beginning to shut on their own, and his body was slowly giving in. He felt empty, and his body slammed to the ground motionless. Sonic had suddenly passed out.

His eyes opened to see himself on a white bed in a hospital. Beeps could be heard and a TV was on in front of him. As he awoke, his head moved to the left to see his friends, Amy and Knuckles. Amy jumped to her feet in relief as she saw him awake. "Thank god!" she exclaimed. "You're okay!" Knuckles' face lit with a relieved smile. "Good to see you awake, bud!" he exclaimed. Sonic didn't have the words to say anything. He still managed to think of something to say, though. "What...happened?" he stuttered. Knuckles walked slowly over to his sickly friend. "Sonic..." he began. "Someone found you knocked out at the park. If they hadn't found you, you would have never woken up. No one knows why it happened...So, what were you doing before you passed out?" Sonic blinked in confusion. "Hmm..." he said, trying to keep a normal look. "I...I don't remember much. I remember GOING to the park, but...I saw two kids, swinging and having fun...and...that's all I can think of..."

"Two kids?" Knuckles said. "You mean, the kids of the father who found you? They're here, you know. They're in the waiting room." Sonic looked at Knuckles with a shocked expression. "Really?" he asked. "Why? They didn't...do anything." Knuckles stared at Sonic with a serious look. "Sonic...?" he said, almost as a whisper. "What's...wrong with you?" As he finished his thought, the two young children whom Sonic saw at the park dashed into the room. They then jumped onto the bed with Sonic and began to cuddle up with him. The boys both had light-brown hair, and headbands were both strapped around their heads. "We're sorry, mister!" they both exclaimed at the same time. Sonic gave them a relaxed laugh. "What for?" he questioned. "You guys didn't do anything, did you? Don't apologize!" Sonic turned to look at the boy on the right. "What's your name, buddy?" The boy grew excited and clenched a little tighter onto Sonic's arm. "My name's Lan!" he said, a grin all across his face. Sonic gave Lan a grin, and he looked over to the other boy. "How about you?" he asked. The boy laughed and said, "My name's Hub!" Sonic shut his eyes as if he was thinking. "Lan and Hub..." he said. "Those are some cool names. So, guys, where's your father?" The boys suddenly ran out of the room at full-speed, and they eventually came back in with their father, a tall man with shining brown hair and glasses. He looked at Sonic and gave bowed to the ground. Sonic gave him an awkward look of confusion. The man lowered his head to the ground. "Please forgive my boys," he said. "They meant no harm."

"And they didn't give me any!" Sonic exclaimed cheerfully. "It's all right, you guys. It's not because of YOU that this happened. It's-" Sonic suddenly dropped his sentence and slapped a serious look on his face. He gave them a half-smile. "It wasn't because of you," he said. "Just...please, take my word for it. So, please...get up. Don't bow to me and ask for my forgiveness. You don't need it." The man felt relieved and slowly walked over to Sonic, reaching out his right hand as if he wanted a handshake. "Yuichiro," he said. "Yuichiro Hikari." Sonic looked at Yuichiro's hand, and he gave him a grin, His right hand then grasped into Yuichiro's, signaling that they had become friends. "Sonic," he said. "Pleasure to meet you.

Hours later, Sonic was given permission to go home and rest. As he began to walk home, Lan and Hub suddenly launched into his legs, stopping Sonic and almost tripping him. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. He quickly turned to face the two twins. "What're you guys doing here?" Lan and Hub's faces were lit with wide grins, and they both turned to look at each other. Their arms removed themselves quickly from behind their backs, revealing a number of slips of paper with decorations on it. "Dad told us to give these to you!" said Lan. "They're tickets to the brand-new Twinkle Park! Dad wants you and your friends to have fun and relax there! See ya later!" Lan began dashing towards the direction of his house. Hub stayed behind and handed Sonic a small data fragment. "This is our address!" he said. "Dad said to come visit us anytime, especially if you need anything!" Sonic gave his new friend a smile. "Okay," he said. "Thanks a lot, Hub...and thank Lan when you catch up to him, okay?" Hub gave Sonic a nod, and he dashed after Lan. Sonic watched with a smile as his new friends ran as fast as they could home. But as the sun set gorgeously within the twilight sky, a cool breeze began to hover through the air, and Sonic looked down at his right hand as if he was deep in thought. He stood there, blank and almost tranced into thinking for a short while, until a word he has not used ever since he was a small boy suddenly crawled out from his lips. "...Mom..." Sonic could do nothing but run home. 


	7. Chapter 7

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 7 A New Friend

The day was still young, and Sonic was sitting at home on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The tickets to Twinkle Park lay flat on his chest. "Hmmm..." he said. "Five tickets...One for me, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and...umm..." Sonic lost his thought. He had only been friends with three other people besides Lan and Hub, and he already knew Yuichiro was getting them in. The only thing he didn't know was how, and who else was he going to take? "Do I know anyone else?" he questioned himself. "Hmm...I don't think so..." Sonic jumped to his feet and stood in the same spot for a few seconds. "Maybe I should go find someone who wants to go..." So that's exactly what he did.

Sonic began his search at the park, and there wasn't anyone there at all. After all, it was still early in the morning; who would be at the park at this time of day? His next destination was in town, and the place was so busy getting ready for the opening of Twinkle Park, he couldn't find time to look for a single person. He stopped by the parking lot near Casinopolis, and there was still nobody left. Sonic continued running around and around Station Square looking for someone to go with him. "Damn!" he exclaimed. "Who the hell thought this would be that fucking hard!" As Sonic released his words of agitation, he suddenly ran right into a young girl. They both fell to the ground, stars circling around them. Sonic came to first, and he had a look at the unexpected victim of his accident. She was a beautiful young woman with long, shining purple hair, and she wore a black headband around the top of her head. Her eyes were bright-green, almost a peridot, just like those of Sonic. She wore a black tanktop that didn't cover her bellybutton. She wore pants that had a shade of tan, almost fused with a golden yellow color. Her hands were protected by black gloves, with the fingertips stopping about halfway on her fingers. She wore green shoes with grey bottoms. When she finally straightened herself out, she looked at Sonic, and a few seconds later, her cheeks turned a bright crimson color. She gently brushed her hair back with her fingers. (You know, that little thing they do when they get their hair out of their faces? Yeah, yeah, that thing.) "Umm...hi," she said, her cheeks still bright red.

"H-Hey," said Sonic, his cheeks turning a slight crimson. Sonic slowly rose to his feet, and he reached out a hand for the young woman to grab. "Here," he offered, "I'll help you up." The girl gave Sonic a happy giggle, and she took his hand and rose to her feet. "Thanks a lot," she said. "Umm...so, why'd you run into me?" Sonic completely forgot the entire reason he decided to rush around in the first place. "Oh, damn it!" he exclaimed. "I completely forgot..." The girl looked straight at Sonic with a confused look, and she put her hand on his cheek and forced his head to switch sides. "Are you okay?" she said. "You're obviously in a hurry, so, what's up?"

"Well, you see," Sonic began to explain, "I'm going to the opening party for Twinkle Park. It's supposed to be really fun and whatnot...and I got five tickets from a man named Yuichiro." The girl gasped in shock. "Yuichiro!" she exclaimed. "Yuichiro Hikari! He's one of the head directors at SciLab!" Sonic gave the girl a confused look. "Huh?" he said. "What's SciLab?" The girl pointed a finger into the air, preparing for a lecture. "SciLab is where all the new inventions that come into our world are created," she explained. "You see, almost every technological piece of equipment we have we got from SciLab! For example, Star Carriers! These handy little things were made and tested at SciLab, and they were shipped all throughout the world. In other words, SciLab's in charge of just about everything technological! No wonder he's going; Yuichiro Hikari is one of the head executives of SciLab. He's probably the one who made the whole IDEA for Twinkle Park!"

"Wow, that's cool!" exclaimed Sonic. He gave the girl a cheerful grin. "You sure know your stuff, huh?" The girl's cheeks turned even brighter red. "Thanks," she said. "I'm just really good when it comes to that sort of thing. So, umm...you got five tickets, right? Who all are you inviting?" Sonic thought it necessary to reply without hesitation. "Tails, Amy, and Knuckles," he said. "They've all been my buddies since I was about twelve. I...I didn't move to Station Square until I was eleven." The girl gave him a happy laugh. "So, where'd you used to live before here?" she asked. Sonic found it difficult to give her a reply, due to the fact that he barely remembers anything from the past. "...I..." he attempted to say. "I was...I don't..."

"What's wrong?" the girl asked. "Are you okay?" Sonic tried harder to remember the past. "I was born...in a place called...Eldrant," he finally managed to reply. The girl's face demonstrated a sad, shocked look. "Eldrant...?" she said, very quietly. "That was...the city that...got destroyed..." Sonic looked down, trying to forget the pain of his memories. The girl slowly moved closer to him. "Hey," she said. "I...I'm so sorry...I didn't know. Please...don't be sad. I just..." Sonic stopped her before she could say anything else. "It's fine!" he said, trying to sound happy. "Don't...worry about it, okay? Anyways, I feel kinda bad..." The girl gave Sonic a look of confusion. "Why?" she asked. Sonic looked into the girl's eyes. "I haven't even asked you for your name," he said. The girl pulled together, and she gave him a smile. "Mina," she said. "I live here in Station Square with my brother Ash."

"Mina," Sonic began, "Since I...don't know anybody else, you wanna go with me to the Twinkle Park opening party? It'll be a blast! I mean...as long as you come, anyways." Mina found a sort of comfort in his words. "You...really mean that?" she asked. Sonic grinned. "Of course I do!" he exclaimed. "I'd love for you to go with me!" Mina grinned back at Sonic. "I'd love to come with you!" she exclaimed. "Umm...but first, what's your name?" Sonic smiled. "I'm Sonic," he said. "So hey, I'll hold onto your pass, okay? Meet me there before it opens, all right? I'll see you then!" Mina smiled back at Sonic. "Okay!" she said, extremely happily. "I'll see you there!" Sonic began dashing back to his house, leaving Mina behind. She closed her eyes slowly and began to think. (I wonder...) she thought. (Does he...have someone already? Oh, but...I couldn't. Ash is way too protective...But I...I could at least try...)

Sonic finally returned home and began to get himself ready for the opening of Twinkle Park. "All right!" he exclaimed. "This is gonna be awesome! I'm goin' to the opening to a brand new amusement park with my friends...and my new friend! Mina...This is gonna kick so much ass!" Sonic finished getting ready for the event, and as he finally settled down, he looked at his bed and his eyes began to grow heavy. He yawned for what seemed longer than ten seconds. "Well," he said, "Nothing in the rulebook saying I can't catch some much needed Z's." With that said, Sonic flopped onto his bed and slowly, yet surely, lured off into his dreams, falling asleep. 


	8. Chapter 8

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 8 Twinkle Park Time!

Hours had passed as our blue-haired hero remained within the depths of his dreams. Twinkle Park was to be opening at around six, and it was close to 5:30 before our hero managed to awake. When he awoke, he stretched his arms wide and released a large yawn, finally turning his head to read the clock that hung effortlessly from the wall. Shock suddenly consumed him. "Oh, shit!" he exclaimed. "Twinkle Park's open in less than an hour! Damn it! Damn it!" Sonic bolted off of his bed and into his closet, searching for what clothes would be appropriate to wear. His peridot-green eyes were glued to a dressy pair of blue jeans and a flashy overshirt with a cool-looking collar. His arms slipped through the clothing easily, and he zipped his pants on and dashed out the door. "It's gonna take me ten minutes to get there!" he said. "Maybe she'll still be there! I can only hope..."

Meanwhile, Tails was already lost within the Twinkle Park opening crowd. "Hmm...that's weird," he said. "The radar says it's here, but...I don't see anything that could give it away..." Knuckles was shortly behind, and he lightly tapped Tails' right shoulder. "Find anything yet, Tails?" he asked. Tails scratched the side of his head with his pointer finger, as if he was trying to think. "Well," he began, "It says here that it's somewhere here...but I don't know exactly where it is..." Knuckles began to think, something he didn't do very often. "Well," he began to ask, "Do you think it could be inside Twinkle Park? I mean, let's face it; Twinkle Park's gonna be filled with technology. One of those machines must have it."

"That's...actually not a bad idea," Tails complemented his red-haired friend. "Knuckles, I think you've got it! Now, it's just a matter of time before we can get in there and search. Let's just wait for everyone else." Knuckles gave Tails a crazed smile. "Y'know," he said, "There's plenty of cute girls in the world, right? That fifth ticket could have gone to anyone...I mean ANYONE!" Tails laughed at Knuckles' foreshadowing words. "I don't think Amy and Sonic are even going out," he admitted. "In fact, it's pretty clear that Sonic doesn't even WANT to like Amy. No, I'm almost certain that Sonic will find someone else. I mean, he's a likeable guy...right?" Knuckles began to rub the back of his head in disagreement. "Yeah, umm...Tails," he began, "I'll buy you some hotcakes if you drop the subject right now." Tails gave Knuckles a laugh. "Hmm..." he said. "Well, I DO like hotcakes...Sure, okay."

Just then, Amy staggered through the crowd wearing a sparkling blue dress that failed to cover her shoulders. "Hi, guys!" she exclaimed. "Have you seen my darling anywhere?" Knuckles gave Tails a sinister look, while Tails simply tried to laugh the crisis away. "N-No, Amy," he said, "I haven't seen him anywhere. Maybe he won't even show up..." Amy gave the two boys a pout. "Oh, he's gonna show up!" she demanded. "If he doesn't, I'll make him regret it!" Knuckles suddenly tried to break Amy out of her rage. "Umm...Amy, you look very nice," he said. "Is that a new dress?" Amy seemed very pleased with his complement. "Ohh, yes!" she said, almost too happily. "I'm so happy you noticed! I got this at that sale down in the Central Market! It's gorgeous, isn't it?"

"Huh...?" Tails looked down at his radar, and it reacted to a force to the left of his current position. "Knuckles!" he said forcing his head up. "The radar...it's reacting strongly!" Knuckles looked over to the left, where the radar indicated. His eyes widened when he saw that the radar was directed towards a young woman with long, beautiful purple hair. She was dressed in an outstanding purple dress that sparkled in the sunlight. She had top-notch silver earrings on her, and they shined brilliantly in the light. Knuckles' entire face turned red. "Oh, man..." he said. "Tails, you sure your radar points out the Chaos Emeralds? 'Cause all I see is a GORGEOUS woman who I'd like to take home and fuck over and over and over again! Seriously, man! She's HOT!"

Amy suddenly smacked Knuckles across the back of the head with her purse, sending him painfully flat on the ground. He raised a hand and stated, "I did NOT deserve that!" He suddenly rose to his feet, and Tails attempted to walk towards her. "I'm gonna go ask her if she knows anything about it," he said. He began powerwalking towards the girl, and she suddenly noticed him coming towards her. "Oh, hi, there!" she said. "How are you today?" Tails' cheeks turned a slight crimson. "I'm great!" he said. "Thanks for asking! Umm...may I ask you a-" Tails noticed a small locket hung around her neck, and he looked down at his radar. The signal was coming from her locket, and he looked up at it. "Umm...do you mind if I...have a look at that locket?" The girl looked confused. "Umm...can I ask why?"

"Mina!" a sudden cry came from a distance. It was Sonic, dressed in some pretty flashy garments. Mina saw her new friend and smiled widely. She began to wave at him, and Sonic began to run towards her. "Mina!" he said. "Awesome! You're already here. I thought for a second you wouldn't have-" he suddenly looked over at Tails. "Huh?" he said. "Hey, bud! What's up?" Mina looked at Sonic with a displeased look. "You know this guy?" she asked. "He asked me for my locket. Why?" Sonic looked confused and a little startled at the same time. "What...?" he asked. "Tails...What's wrong? Why do you need the locket?" Tails attempted to escape the criminal spot. "N-N-No! It's not like that!" he exclaimed. "It's just...the Chaos Radar is reacting to your locket! Would you...would you at least open the locket?" Mina turned away from Tails. "I don't see why I have to," she said. "Sonic, let's go." She began to pull on Sonic's arm and the two of them walked toward the entrance.

It was almost time for the opening ceremony to begin. There were only five minutes left on the clock for countdown. It was going to be a wondrous experience...unlike the one that Amy, Sonic and Mina had before entering Twinkle Park. As Sonic and Mina walked hand in hand to the front area, Amy looked over to see Sonic's supposed act of cheating. "Umm, ex-CUSE me!" she exclaimed. Sonic looked over at Amy, and immediately began to regret this decision. "Aww, shit..." he said, almost in a whisper with his hand over his eyes. Mina gave Amy a look of evil. "Can I help you?" she demanded. Amy began to grind her teeth. "That's MY man!" she shouted. "Get your hands off of him!" Mina stepped back a little as to avoid contact with Amy. "Umm...Sonic," she began to ask in frustration, "Is this...your girlfriend?" Her face swiftly shifted from angry to sad, as she thought that he liked her. Sonic retaliated without hesitation. "Well," he declared, "I know her, but she's DEFINITELY not my girlfriend!" Mina was surprised to hear Sonic's words. She turned to face him with a reassured smile. "You really mean that?" she said, happiness filling her voice. Sonic gave her a cheerful wink. "Of course!" he grinned. "After all, I asked YOU to come here with me, right?"

"But you ALSO asked ME!" Amy demanded. "See! This is the ticket YOU gave me!" Sonic suddenly snapped at Amy. "That doesn't mean I like you like that!" he exclaimed. "Fine, we can be friends, but I'm NEVER gonna be anything more than that with you! Why don't you just...stay away from me for a while, okay!" To their surprise, the bells opened to let everyone inside. The doors slowly began to spread open, and everyone hussled inside. Mina was overjoyed. "C'mon, Sonic!" she exclaimed, tightening her grip on Sonic's arm. "Let's go inside!" The two of them dashed inside with a smile on their faces. Upon going inside, the place was surprisingly dark. The room had no lights on, and everything was otherwise invisible. Suddenly, a voice began to circulate through the room. "Welcome, one and all!" it began. "This is the opening of Twinkle Park, the greatest amusement park of all time!" With those words spoken, the lights suddenly flashed on, and booths and stands were seen throughout the entire area. There were some pretty deep swimming pools for those who wanted to stay put and relax. A huge, spinning roller coaster could be seen towering above the guests, surrounding giant towers that seemed too realistic to be for an amusement park. Fire dancers and jugglers were scattered all throughout the area. There were various merry-go-rounds throughout the entire park, and there was even a hover cart attraction. Guests could hop into a car of their choice and ride off onto a dazzling, absolutely gorgeous scenery and have races with the other drivers. It truly was the greatest amusement park of all time.

The gang of friends moved forward slowly, their eyes caught in the attraction trap that of the rides and interesting things to do. Mina gazed into the air with awe, as she had desired to ride that spinning roller coaster. "Hey, Sonic!" she said, her head turning towards him. Sonic put on a startled look, for he wasn't really paying attention to anything but the rides. "Y-Yeah?" he said. Mina's cheeks suddenly turned a bright crimson. "Umm..." she began to ask. "Would you...I mean...You wanna go on the roller coaster with me? I mean, you don't HAVE to, but...I'd like you to go." Sonic gave his friend a grin. "Of course I'm going!" he exclaimed. "Let's hit it!" Mina began to cheer happily and the two of them ran off towards the roller coaster hand in hand. Amy, despite the obvious level of happiness that was spread through the air around her, was infuriated. "That stupid...son of a bitch!" she shouted. "I'll never forgive that bastard!" Tails couldn't help but laugh. "Isn't it obvious, Amy?" he asked. "I mean, he even said it himself...He doesn't like you in that way."

"So!" Amy retaliated. "I'm just as sexy as that other bitch he's with! Why does he go for her! I wanna know!" She began to stomp in place and throw a fit. Knuckles merely sighed at the pathetic sight he was witnessing. "Wow..." he said. "This is stupid. I'm gonna go check out the carts. See you guys around." Tails tugged on Knuckles' sleeve before he managed to make his escape. "Hey, I wanna try it too!" he said. "C'mon, we'll go together." Knuckles smiled at his friend and nodded, and the two of them ran off to the hover carts. Amy was left alone, enraged and spoiled...as usual. She began to come up with a plan to somehow ruin Mina and Sonic's day. The pieces were all falling into place, and she began to run towards the roller coaster. Tails and Knuckles had already made their way there, and the friends could do almost nothing but gaze in awe at the sight they were beholding. Cars of various colors, anywhere from red to gold, were lined up perfectly for the guests to enjoy. The two friends looked at each other and without hesitation, they both declared, "Let's race!" Knuckles hopped into the red cart and Tails into the orange one. The gate began to open for them to begin, and they were off.

Meanwhile, Mina and Sonic had stopped about halfway to the roller coaster to check out some of the stands. She spotted an adorable stuffed animal hanging from one of them. It was the stuffed animal of a chao, a mystical creature that existed a long time ago. It had big, round eyes and an adorable little tummy. The ball above its head seemed almost too realistic. Sonic looked over to the stand Mina was focused on. "See something you like?" he asked. Mina giggled and turned to face her friend. "Oh, kinda," she said. "It's that Chao." Sonic looked over at the stand and saw the cute little Chao plush doll. "Oh, I see," he said. "Well, c'mon! What're we waiting for?" Mina nodded her head and the two went towards the stand. The manager greeted them with a kind and happy attitude. "Welcome, you two!" she began to say. "Oh, my! And how long has this lovely couple been going?" Both of the friends witnessed their cheeks turning a different color than normal. "Uhh..." Sonic attempted to say. "It's...uhh...not like that! So, uhh...how much for the Chao?" The manager found it necessary to chuckle. "It's not how much it is," she said. "If you want a prize, you have to beat him in a Netbattle." She finished her words and pointed to a large, buff man with a sinister face. Mina jumped at the sight of the man, and Sonic couldn't help but smile. "...That's it?" he asked. "That's all, right? No problem." Sonic began to walk towards the large man and he switched out his Star Carrier. "Okay, tough guy," he said. "Let's get this over with!" Sonic looked over at Mina and gave her a wink. "My date wants that Chao, so I'm gonna win it for her!" Mina blushed when her ears comprehended those words. "Date..." she said almost as a whisper. The gargantuan man was already in the Cyberworld, waiting for his opponent to get there. Sonic arrived without hesitation. "Let's do this!" he exclaimed.

The giant man inserted a SilverAxe chip, and his legs began to dash him towards Sonic. He was drastically slower than Sonic, so it wasn't hard for the blue-haired Netbattler to see right through his steps. His face lit with a wide grin, and he inserted a HiCannon chip to prepare himself. "This won't take long," he said. The giant man began shouting in rage, and right before the axe he wielded could come down and strike Sonic, the blue-haired wonder dashed over to the other side of the man, and before the man could even look towards Sonic's direction, Sonic unleashed the chip he had inserted. "HiCannon!" he shouted, as a huge blast of energy was exerted from his massive cannon. The man barely escaped the blast alive, and all over his body were gashes and wounds alike. The man was grunting in pain, but before he could do anything, his opponent dashed toward him and jumped onto his head, and he just sat down on his back. "Y'know," he said, "You COULD just call it quits and lemme win. That way, you won't have to lose, and you won't feel anymore pain than you already do." The man attempted to get Sonic off of his back, but Sonic simply jumped off of it and he loaded another chip into his system. "LongSword!" he exclaimed. His feet landed him firmly on the ground, and he dashed straight through the man with his sword cutting straight through him. The man was immediately logged out, and Sonic grew a triumphant smile. "That's game," he said, as he was logging out.

"Okay, so I'll take that plush now, huh?" Sonic said to the manager, who could do nothing but stare in shock and surprise. She never expected someone so small to top someone so huge. Sonic jumped onto the wooden stand and grabbed the plush himself, and he handed it to Mina. She let out a cheerful giggle. "Thank you, Sonic!" she cheered. "Thank you so much!" Sonic grinned at her. "As long as I get to see your smile!" he said. "So, you wanna go to the roller coaster?" Mina nodded at her friend, and the two began walking towards the direction of the roller coaster. Little did they know, a familiar face was waiting to ruin their day together...one way or the other. Tails and Knuckles had already finished their race together, with Tails emerging victorious. Knuckles laughed despite being beaten. "Damn, dude!" he said, leaning on Tails' shoulder in happiness. "How the hell'd you beat me? Did you cheat?" Tails laughed at his friend's suspicions. "Of course not!" he said. "I couldn't have cheat! I don't know how to hack into the systems or the mainframe!" Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard. "...But I do," it declared. Tails and Knuckles looked forward to see a man drenched in a black cloak that covered his face. "I trust you gentlemen are enjoying your stay here in Twinkle Park?" he asked. Tails and Knuckles slowly began to reach for their Star Carriers, but the man suddenly revealed a button from his pocket. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said. "Unless, of course...you want everyone here to die."

"What!" exclaimed Tails. "Who the hell ARE you!" The man chuckled beneath the cloak. "Oh, you know very well who I am. Now, then...I have everyone here on a very SHORT leash. Unless you want them all to meet their untimely deaths, you'll get that Chaos Emerald from that girl." Knuckles looked down in question. "So...she DID have an emerald on her...!" he said. He suddenly looked up. "You still haven't told us why you want them...Robotnik!" Tails looked at Knuckles in shock, then he turned to face the cloaked man, who began to laugh crazily. "You guessed it," he said. "Still, I don't think it matters who I am. If I have the entire park under my control...you shouldn't be trying to play guess who with me! Now...find the girl and give me the Chaos Emerald data! Or else the last thing you'll see are the heads of innocent victims flying across the park!" Tails looked down in anguish. "Fine..." he said. "If you promise you'll spare everyone else...we'll do it." Robotnik chuckled. "Good," he said. "You've made the right decision, boys. Now...fetch me that girl. I'll be waiting outside of the park. Come to me with the girl...or else everyone dies. Got it?" Robotnik suddenly teleported outside of the park, awaiting the friends to find Mina and Sonic and bring them outside. Tails and Knuckles looked toward each other, and their minds began to suddenly think alike. They both then ran out of th cart lobby and in the direction of the roller coaster.

Amy was already there, awaiting the two friends to get on the roller coaster and use their trip as a chance to ruin their time together. "Now, I just gotta wait for them to get on..." she said. "I'll sneak behind the guard and knock him out, then I'll press the emergency stop switch! They'll be stuck in midair...nothing to do for hours! Then...there should be an ejection switch next to it...and I'll press that for the seat that purple-haired bitch is in! This plan is coming together...nicely!" She grew a very sinister smile, and she began to run towards the station where they press the buttons to work the roller coaster. Suddenly, guards paused her movement. "Sorry, little lady," a guard said, "But this area's off-limits to guests." Amy began to throw yet another fit. "B-But..." she began. "I have to get in there! Please lemme through!" The guards began to lead her the other way, therefore ruining her vicious plot. "Noooooooo!" she shouted. "Lemme go! LET ME GO!" Sonic and Mina approached the roller coaster line, and as they began waiting, they witnessed Amy being "escorted" out of the area. Sonic ran up to the guards, and Mina quickly followed. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "What happened here?" One of the guards looked toward Sonic. "You know this girl?" he questioned. "She was caught sneaking into the control room. She didn't get past us, though...but regardless, she's not allowed in there." Sonic looked over at Amy. "Amy..." he said. "Why would you want to sneak into the control room?" Sonic began to think for a split second, before he realized what the obvious reason was. "You were gonna trap Mina and I on that roller coaster..." he began to explain. "You were gonna wait until we were making a spin around the tower...and then you were gonna press the emergency break button so that we would suddenly stop. Afterwards, the ejection buttons for each seat would be your goal...You were gonna look for the one Mina was on...and press it. That would send her spiraling down into the ground." Mina gasped in shock. "Why..." she said, almost as a whisper. "Do you...really hate me that much...?" Amy began to struggle out of the guards' control. "Sure as hell!" she exclaimed. "NO ONE steals my man and lives long enough to talk about it! Sonic and I have been best friends for years! YOU just came into the picture! There's no chance in HELL I'm letting YOU walk away with MY boyfriend!"

"Oh..." Mina said, turning away in sadness. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't know you...I'll just...be going, now." Before she could leave, Sonic gently grabbed her arm. "Mina..." he said. "Please don't leave. I WANT you to go on that ride with me. It's just...I didn't plan on having Amy ruin this day for you. Please..." Mina looked into Sonic's eyes, and her own began to fog with tears. She held herself from crying, however. "S-Sure," she said, gently wiping her eyes with her fingers. "Let's go!" The two of them began to face the roller coaster, but before they went too far, one of the guards stopped them. "Listen," he said to Sonic, "I'm really sorry your girlfriend is unhappy. Here, lemme make it up to you." The guard suddenly blew a whistle, and everyone in the line began to face him. "Everyone, make room for these two!" he shouted. "That's an order! They're under protection of Yuichiro Hikari himself! Say or do anything to them and face punishment!" Sonic and Mina moved ahead of everyone else in the very long line, and they were the first two on the coaster, following about twenty other people. As they lifted off, fire and sparks began to shoot in every direction, attempting to entertain the guests and surprise them. It wasn't real fire, but the sparks were indeed genuine. As they reached the top of the tower, they would spiral down and take multiple spins through the course. The course expanded all throughout the entire park, so the lucky riders would get to see the entirety of the park before stopping at where they got on. As they began their blood-pumping ride through the coaster course, flames and sparks began to surround them, and it was designed to look like the coaster was running away from the approaching special effects. As they continued their ride, flames began to close in on them from the front, as well. Everyone but Sonic and Mina was terrified, as they believed they were about to be engulfed in flames and burned alive. Mina actually shut her eyes tight and placed her hands over her face as to remember it wasn't real, but Sonic could do nothing but feel excited and ready for the impact to happen. As the flames made contact with the roller coaster, they suddenly began to wither into thin air, revealing that they were all just for show. The other people on the roller coaster were relieved. They truly believed that this was their time to die.

As they were lifted off the ride, everyone's mouths wouldn't shut about the ride they just experienced. "That was incredible!" exclaimed Mina. "That was...That was...AWESOME!" Sonic smiled when he saw his enthusiastic friend. "Well, I'm glad you're happy, Mina," he said. "That makes me happy." Mina suddenly gave Sonic a serious look, one that caught him off guard. "Sonic..." she said. "I...I'm sorry today wasn't fun for you. I...I really wanted you and I...to have a great time." Sonic blinked in confusion, and his face lit with a smile. He walked over to Mina slowly. "But, Mina..." he said. "I DID have a great time! It was really fun with you here. You're an awesome person to be around!" Mina giggled and turned away from Sonic. "You don't mean that..." she said. Sonic grinned at his embarrassed friend. "But I DO!" he said. "You're amazing, Mina! At least...I think so." Mina slowly turned to face her friend, her eyes gazed deeply into his. "Sonic..." she said. "Thank you...That means a lot." Sonic suddenly looked down and gazed at his watch, which read a sharp eight-thirty p.m. "Well," he said, "Guess we better get going. Wanna grab something to eat on the way home?" Mina giggled and nodded her head. Her cheeks turned a slight crimson. "Umm...are you gonna walk me home?" she asked. Sonic shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Well, yeah, I guess so," he said, "If you want me to, anyways." Sonic held out an arm, and Mina placed hers through his, and they began to walk towards the exit. Upon reaching the exit, Tails and Knuckles were standing there waiting for them. They had serious looks on their faces. "Umm...hey, guys," Sonic said. "What's...the matter?"

"Mina," Tails said, "We need to see what's inside that locket of yours. Please...don't make this harder than it already is." Mina stepped back in fear. "Why..." she questioned. "What's so important about my locket...?" Knuckles suddenly snapped. "That locket's got Chaos Emerald data in it!" he shouted. "We need that, otherwise everyone here is going to die!" Mina gasped, and she quickly ran up to Knuckles. "Here!" she exclaimed. "Take it! I don't care anymore!" She opened the locket, revealing a small chip of data, which Tails slowly and carefully plucked from the inside of the locket. "This is it...!" he said. Suddenly, a mechanical arm wrapped itself around Mina, and it forced her over to a flying machine in the distance. Sonic ran after the arm, only to find out that it was Robotnik that snatched her. He began to laugh insanely. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "I have all seven...ALL SEVEN CHAOS EMERALDS!" Tails and Knuckles followed shortly after Sonic. "Seven!" exclaimed Tails. "How the hell did you find all seven so quickly!" Robotnik laughed at the young group of friends. "It was easy!" he exclaimed. "You see, my little 'project' has a built-in sensor that practically gives away the location of the emerald data! With that kind of power...it was a piece of cake finding the rest of the emeralds! You're all too late! Soon, VERY soon...everything you know and love will fall to my superior creation!" He looked over at Mina, and a sinister grin consumed his face. "I don't have any further use of this girl," he said. "You can have her back...if you catch her!" Suddenly, the claw that held Mina captive launched her high into the air, at around three-hundred feet or so. It was obvious that if she fell and hit the ground, she would die.

Without hesitation, Sonic dashed over to a nearby light pole and jumped off of it, and onto Robotnik's machine. He then jumped off of it at the right time to catch Mina, who was already more than halfway done with her trip into midair. Sonic very carefully caught her in his arms, and he managed to grab a flagpole and slowly and painlessly slide down the pole with Mina in hand. He set Mina down on her feet and watched as Robotnik dashed away, laughing like there was no tomorrow. Tails and Knuckles ran over to Sonic and Mina to make sure they were okay. "You're not hurt, are you!" asked Tails. "I'm sorry...this was all my fault! I should've told you guys first..." Sonic looked at Tails and began to question him. "What do you mean?" he asked. "You knew this was gonna happen?" Knuckle shook his head. "Well, we did," he said, But it's not like that. You see, we just got off the hover carts when Robotnik showed up and threatened to kill everyone in this park...unless we brought him the Chaos Emerald data from Mina's locket." Mina looked down in sadness. "That's why..." she said. "That's why you needed my locket..." She placed her hand on her neck, and she discovered that her locket wasn't there. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "M-My locket! Where'd it go! No...That son of a bitch Robotnik!" Tails and Knuckles looked down in shame. "We're sorry..." said Knuckles. "We...didn't want this to happen." Mina looked over at Tails and Knuckles. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Is that right! Like you didn't plan on telling us this would happen before it did, huh! You could've stopped him, at least! Now, he's got all seven emeralds! I don't know what he plans on doing...but he can do it now, because of you guys! Today, I have been insulted, scared out of my wit, and thrown into the air to face my death...This has got to be the WORST day I've ever had!"

"Mina..." said Sonic, looking at her in her angry condition. "I'm sorry...it wasn't enjoyable for you. This sort of thing...doesn't happen all the time. I mean...we're trying to stop Robotnik from realizing his goals...Because if he does, everyone here will be dead...or his eternal slaves." Mina's mood switch suddenly shifted from angry to sad. "What is it...he's trying to do?" she asked. Tails looked directly at Mina, who was facing the other way. "He's going to destroy everything that stands here and create a new world in his image," he said. "We can't let that happen...even if it means we die in the process!" Knuckles nodded in agreement with Tails. "That's right," he said. "I'm sorry your day's been ruined, but until we know Robotnik's plans are thwarted, we don't really have time for breaks like this..." Mina's face lit with a smile, trying to make the others feel better. "It's fine, really," she said. "I just...kinda went over the edge there. I do that sometimes...I'm sorry, guys." Sonic grinned at Mina. "Well?" he said. "You wanna head home? We'll stop by Otherworld BBQ on our way there." Mina's eyes lit with an excited glint of light. "That sounds awesome!" she exclaimed. "That's my favorite restaurant!" The two of them began their walk home, while Tails and Knuckles could do nothing but watch them. "Y'know," said Knuckles, "He's probably gonna get to hit that tonight." Tails lost his focus on the situation, and he laughed. "Oh, I don't think we need to worry about that," he said. "Besides, what he does on his time is his business, after all. Let's grab Amy and go home." Knuckles began to toss his head in every direction. "Hey...where IS Amy?" Suddenly, the girl-in-question barged out from Twinkle Park. "You bastards won't get away with this!" she shouted at the door. She noticed Knuckles and Tails and walked over to them. "So...who's ready to go home?" she asked. They both raised their hands playfully.

Meanwhile, Mina and Sonic had already gotten their food eaten and reached Mina's house. It was a rather large home with a white and gold paintjob. There was a nicely-crafted wooden deck before entering the house. The door was painted a shining sapphire, and the knob was made of polished, refined glass. There were a couple of chairs on the deck, two on one side and one more on the other. As the two friends walked up to the door, they faced each other preparing for a goodbye. "Well," said Mina, during a release of breath. "This is it. Thanks for everything today, Sonic." Sonic smiled at his friend and tried to be as cheerful as he could possibly be. "I'm glad you had a great time," he said. "Hey, maybe if you're not busy, or anything...you wanna...do something else sometime?" Mina's cheeks turned a bright red, and she replied with a big smile on her face. "Sure thing!" she said. "Just tell me when, and I'll try to plan for it!" Sonic gave his new friend a grin. "Awesome!" he said. "So, I guess...I'll see you later?" Mina nodded with a bright smile across her face. "Absolutely," she said. She then walked to her door and unlocked it with the key in her purse. The door opened, but before she went on the other side of it, she looked back to Sonic, and she smiled. He smiled back to her, turning around and walking down the steps to go home. She then entered her house and sat directly on her couch, which was a black-colored couch that had that leathery feel to it. It was a gorgeous two-story house with many decorations and a large TV in the living room. It was a brand-new plasma that was approximately 46 inches wide. Regardless, it was huge. There was a wooden coffee table in the middle of the room, and it had various glass jars on it. Suddenly, a door from upstairs opened and closed, and a teenage boy no younger than Mina walked down the stairs. He had silver hair with yellow highlights at the end, and he wore a black muscle shirt along with silver pants. His eyes were as green as Mina's, and he wore black gloves just like hers. "Mina?" he said. "So, sis, how was it? Was it fun?" Mina slowly closed her eyes, and she put on a relaxed smile. "Ash..." she said. "I met the most amazing boy today...He was so handsome, he was cool, and he's an outstanding Netbattler! He's got green eyes...just like me!" Ash gave Mina a suspecting look. "Hmm..." he said. "I'm not so sure...He's probably like all the other guys out there. He just wants you for sex, Mina. I know it."

"That's not true!" Mina exclaimed, as she suddenly launched off the couch and threw a pillow at her brother. "He's a nice guy...We were attacked today, and-" Ash swiftly rose from the ground he was laying on, and he began to panick. "Whoa, whoa, hold on!" he exclaimed. "Attacked! By who!" Mina put on a sad face and she tried to say the man's name. "Robotnik," she said. Ash clenched a fist and hit it into the wall. "Damn it!" he exclaimed. "That bastard! He's back for more, huh! I'll never let him get away with what he's done! We'll stop him the next time he shows up!" Mina couldn't stop thinking about her lost locket, and she refrained from telling Ash that Robotnik had the locket in his grasp. If she told him, then he wouldn't even wait for his next appearance; he would go directly towards his base and take him on alone. She knew he wouldn't come back alive if he did. (What should I do...?) she thought. (I need someone to tell me...What should I do?) 


	9. Chapter 9

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 9 Robotnik's Base

The next morning, Sonic awoke to find that his Star Carrier had a new message on it. "Hmm? he said. "That's weird...I don't know this person..." His finger slowly pressed the button to open the E-Mail. It was from his enemy, Robotnik. It turned out to be a voicemail and not an E-Mail. "I've finally done it!" he exclaimed. "This is it...the day my ultimate weapon comes to life and fulfills its purpose! I do hope you and your friends will come to my base and witness such an outstanding event! If you have the courage to come here, then come visit me! My base stands within a place in which you are very familiar...the Black District! I am within that very same facility, the one you had so foolishly left alone! My base is hard to miss, actually. It's quite large...Now, then...Come! So that we can settle who deserves this world! I assure you...I WILL emerge victorious!" The voicemail cut off and the Star Carrier was forced out of the mail page. "Robotnik..." Sonic said. "This is it...It's time to finally end this!" His legs lunged him off his bed and out his front door, but before he could go anywhere else, he received an E-mail from his three friends, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. They all said the same thing: "Come to Tails' house, right now!" That was motivation enough to get Sonic moving, so that's where he ended up going to.

"Now," Tails began, "I assume you all got the E-mail just a few minutes ago, yes? It seems that Robotnik is serious about this...He really plans on destroying the world and making his own over its ashes...We can't let that happen...even if we die in the process! This is it, everyone...Our showdown with Robotnik! I've prepared the necessary chips and programs for this battle!" Tails handed his three friends a pack of powerful chips and a case of very useful programs, both in which they would desperately need if they had any hopes of defeating Robotnik's new ultimate weapon. "Robotnik said that his base was the Black District...I don't know how we missed that! But still, that won't be hard to find! Let's get going!" The three friends nodded their heads and dashed out the door and towards the school. But before they got too far, Sonic suddenly stopped in place, and he ran towards the direction of Mina's house. "I'll be right back, guys!" he shouted as he continued running. "I'll meet you there! Don't go in without me!" The three friends did not stop towards their goal. They knew where Sonic was going, and they knew why. So, all they could do was keep moving forward. Sonic eventually reached Mina's house, and he began knocking on the front door. To his surprise, with the first knock, the door flew open. He slowly began to walk into their house, only to find that no one was inside the house. He began to search every room, hoping to find something. But suddenly, he saw that there was a large garden outside of the kitchen. He saw the one he came for standing outside, tending the flowers. He dashed out there and opened the doors. Mina looked up, thinking it was her brother. "Ash...?" she said. No, it was her new friend, Sonic, coming to visit! "Mina!" he said, as he jumped down and landed on the grass. "Mina, thank God, you're here!" he said. His hands were gripped lightly around her arms. She gazed into Sonic's eyes. "W-What's the matter, Sonic?" she asked. "Is there something...bothering you?" Sonic looked down, trying to think of the proper way to say what was going on. "I...I have a battle to fight," he said. "And Robotnik's...the enemy."

Mina suddenly broke away from him, and she turned away from him. "Robotnik..." she said. "I can't believe you're going there...alone..." Sonic retaliated. "I'm not going alone," he said. "Tails, Knuckles, and Amy are with me. And...I..." Mina slowly turned to face Sonic. "Y...Yes?" she said. Sonic moved over to Mina, trying to comfort her. "I...I wanted you...to go with me," he said. "But...it's gonna be dangerous...I have no idea what he's got up his sleeve. His base is the Black District at our school...and we have to go there and finish this fight! But...I want you to go...because I'd feel much safer if you were there with me." Mina suddenly sprinted into Sonic's embrace, her arms wrapped around him tightly. Sonic was speechless, and he slowly grasped a hold on the situation and returned the hug of affection. "It's strange..." said Mina. "I've only known you for two days...but...I feel like I've known you...my entire life..." Sonic's eyes closed slowly. "Yeah..." he said, affection plainly in his voice. "I feel the same way, Mina..." The two broke from their hug, and they gazed deep into each other's eyes. "That's why...I need you to be with me," said Sonic. "I don't want you to get hurt...but...will you join me?" Mina nodded. "Of course I will," she said. "I may not look it, but I'm a good Netbattler, too!"

Tails and the other two had already made it to the Black District, and they slowly crept inside through the front doors. The inside was a horrible sight to see. There were human slaves inside of the building, men and women without shirts or any clothing at all. Small children were in cages, crying and begging for someone to release them. The workers were processing metal and different types of alloy. It was all going through a machine that leads to some far-off location. "This is horrible..." said Knuckles, almost as a whisper. "We have to save these people!" But before they could go any further, a man came through the other doors to the north of the room. "Welcome, honored guests of my master," he said. "I am Stiletto, and as my name describes, I am a skilled sword wielder." Knuckles reached for his Star Carrier and flipped it out of his pocket. "I don't give a damn WHO you are!" he exclaimed. "This is downright inhuman! Let these people go, right now!" Stiletto simply laughed. "I'm afraid I can't do that," he said. "You see, these people are sending resources into making a brand-new, super-powered masterpiece that my master requested himself. It will make this base look like a childish sand castle! So, they are sending supplies and resources to the location in which we are preparing to create this masterpiece...They are vital to the process. Therefore..." Stiletto suddenly pulled out a Star Carrier, and he began to jack into Cyberworld. "I cannot allow you to interfere with our plan!" he exclaimed. "Now...face me in Cyberworld! You'll never leave this room alive!"

"We'll see about that!" shouted Knuckles, jacking into Cyberworld without any sign of hesitation. His friends followed shortly afterwards, and they had prepared their chips for usage. Knuckles loaded his chip first. "BronzeAxe!" he exclaimed. A bronze-colored axe engulfed Knuckles' arm, and he charged straight at Stiletto, who refused to even move. His eyes were shut, in fact. Suddenly, right as Knuckles leaped into the air to strike, his eyes opened, and he swiftly countered Knuckles and cut through his body numerous times. Knuckles fell to the ground, severely wounded and broken. "Damn it...!" he said, blood spilling from his wounds. Stiletto turned to face his injured opponent. "You're far too predictable," he said. "You're lucky in the Cyberworld, your injuries are nowhere near as severe, but I guarantee you, once you return to the real world, you'll most certainly feel the pain. The attack you just witnessed was my CounterStrike ability. As soon as my enemy is within range of my attacks, I can immediately cut through their offense and strike one of my own. It's unfortunate that you had to taste such a powerful sting from my blade..."

Suddenly, a shot from a HiCannon chip made a direct hit on Stiletto, the blast coming from some random point in the room. Stiletto managed to regain his senses and started to look around the room. Suddenly, a shot from a Spreader chip made a direct hit on the unsuspecting man, damaging him greatly and spilling blood from his body. Knuckles managed to rise to his feet, only to give his enemy a determined smile. "You think MY pain is bad?" he said. "Well...just wait until you feel THIS!" He suddenly prepared a GoldAxe chip and charged at Stiletto, who was distracted by the blasts that kept coming from random points in the room. He was far too late to turn around and counter his other opponent, who stabbed right through him with his GoldAxe chip. Suddenly, a voice was heard from a random point in the room. "Knuckles!" it shouted. "Step back!" Obeying the voice, Knuckles leaped backwards and away from Stiletto, who was then attacked by five BronzeArrow chips, one right after the other, causing a massive explosion. By the time the explosion subsided, there wasn't anything left of Stiletto. His entire body had been vaporized by the onslaught of powerful chips. The three friends were amazed at what they had just seen. Such a heavenly amount of power on one enemy...but where did the entire thing come from? Suddenly, Mina jumped into the air and her feet landed her firmly onto the ground, a bronze-colored bow in her right hand. She had a smile across her face. "Hey, guys!" she said. Tails and Amy ran towards Mina, but before they got closer to her, she denied their company. "Don't worry about me!" she said. "Go help Knuckles! He's injured!" The two friends immediately turned away from Mina and straight on to Knuckles. Amy used a couple of Recovery50 chips to heal him, leaving him restored. He began walking towards Mina, and he reached out a hand to shake. "...Friends?" he asked. Mina looked at his hand, and instead, she punched Knuckles' shoulder in affection. "Friends!" she said. Suddenly, the other hero of this story landed firmly on the ground near Tails and Amy. "Hey, guys!" he said.

"Sonic!" exclaimed Tails. "Good, now everyone's here! We have that much more of a chance of winning this fight...That's good news." After everyone had jacked out, Mina took a good look around the room. "We have to save these people!" she said. Agreeing wholeheartedly, the gang of friends began to break the bonds that rendered the prisoners helpless, and they began to escort them out of the massive building. Every last one was gone, and the heroes had completed their task. "Whew..." said Mina. "That's good...they all got out." Suddenly, Mina felt a light tug on her left pant leg. As she looked down, she saw a little boy with a cute little cat hat. He looked awful, bruises and mold all over his helpless body. "Thank you, lady!" the little boy said. Mina kneeled down to the child's level, and she patted him gently on the head. "Let's get you fixed up, little guy," she said. "Are your parents around?" The little boy nodded, and he raised his hand to point his finger at a young couple that had been enslaved moments ago. Mina looked over to them, and she smiled. "That's good..." she said, almost in a whisper. She then gave her attention to the little boy. "Now, go back to your parents," she said. "Tell everybody here to go far away from this place, okay? It's going to get very dangerous! Can you do that for me?" The little boy gave Mina a widened grin and nodded. She felt relieved, and she gave the young little soldier a smile. "That's the spirit!" she exclaimed. "Now, hurry along!" The boy nodded once more and began to run out of the building, dashing over to his parents to engage a wonderful reunion. Mina's eyes began to swell with tears, and Sonic walked over to her to comfort her. "Let's keep going," he said. "If we don't stop Robotnik's super weapon now...that boy will never get the opportunity to live his life."

"You're right," Mina said, forcing back the tears. She then turned to face the other direction, the direction of the other door. That door would lead our heroes to the control room, where their final battle would take place. Sonic walked forward as if signaling his leadership amongst the group. "Okay, guys..." he said. "This is it...our toughest fight yet! Beyond those doors, we'll fight Robotnik and his super weapon...the two things that threaten the world's very existence! For the sake of everyone in this world...we WILL win!" Sonic turned to face his friends, who were all waiting for the signal to move on. He gave them a cheerful grin, and he turned back around, lifting his right arm into the air. His hand formed into that of a gun jesture, and he pointed it towards the door to the control room. "Let's move out!" 


	10. Chapter 10

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 10 Confrontation: Metal Me!

Ba-bump...Ba-bump...The hearts of our heroes were the only thing they could focus on. Everything that surrounded them that even made noise was silent...their senses seemed to fade away into nothing. Their legs moved them forward to face their final fight...a battle that would determine the very fate of the human race. As they walked into the control room, all was regained, and the heroes immediately jacked into the Cyberworld to ready themselves for battle. Just then, all of the lights around them suddenly died out, and even the Cyberworld was pitch black. Suddenly, a yellow light was seen as if it was center-staged, revealing a giant glass orb that obviously contained nothing but trouble. A maniacal laughter began to fill the area. "At last..." it began to say. It was Robotnik, due to the obvious tone of voice. "I'm just thrilled that you've made it this far! I'm actually quite surprised that Stiletto didn't kill every last one of you! Well done! Now...you can witness the very essence of ultimate power!" With those words spoken, the giant orb slowly began to rise into the air, and it began to crack open, scattering various shards of it to the ground, which quickly and surprisingly dissolved like liquid. As the orb shattered more and more, our heroes grew more and more anxious and scared. If what Robotnik said was true, then they were truly about to face what Robotnik knew as ultimate power. With the energy of the seven Chaos Emerald data, how could they hope to even stand before this awesome creation? Before they were ready, the remainder of the orb began to flash a bright light, nearly blinding the heroes and forcing them to protect their eyes. As the light cleared and Sonic was able to look forward, all he could see were evil, red eyes that were that of a cyborg's. His body froze in shock and fear, for Robotnik had created a true monster...an ultra-powerful being that resembled our hero almost to the nail. "Behold!" Robotnik bragged loudly. "My most powerful creation to date! The unstoppable, incredible, absolutely flawless...METAL SONIC!"

"Metal...Sonic!" Tails exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that your ultimate weapon is an android form of Sonic! Why! HOW!" Robotnik began to laugh at the questions he was being attacked with. "Well, allow me to explain before you all die!" he exclaimed. "You see, as you have battled, I have analyzed your moves and your skills...and the only one of you who I would even consider copying was Sonic! His speed is truly remarkable...and his Netbattling skills are easily that of an expert. So, I figured...with that kind of prodigic skill and talent, why not combine it with the power of the seven Chaos Emerald data and make it my ultimate creation? That's EXACTLY what I did!" Knuckles was disgusted with Robotnik's sick mind. "You twisted bastard!" he exclaimed. "You can't possibly expect to walk away a free man after this, can you!" Mina nodded in agreement. "Knuckles is right!" she exclaimed. "Sonic isn't just some pawn in your plans! He's not a simple tool for you to copy and use to destroy the human race! This is insane!" Tails managed to get a data analysis of Metal Sonic, and when it was finished, his brain practically froze. "This...can't be!" he exclaimed. Sonic turned back to face his friend. "What's wrong, Tails!" he asked. Tails could do nothing but shake his head in shock. "Metal Sonic's top-speed..." he said. "It...It goes beyond machs!" Amy gasped in surprise. "That's impossible!" she exclaimed. "Sonic's not NEARLY that fast! How can Metal Sonic be any better!" Robotnik felt the need to enter the conversation. "You fools are simply hilarious!" he exclaimed. "The power of the Chaos Emerald data gives him the limitless powers that they offer...I'm curious as to how you can even TELL how fast he moves! He can go FAR beyond that level of speed...Try light-speed or even at the speed of sound!"

"It doesn't matter HOW many drugs you've put him on, Robotnik!" exclaimed Sonic. "If I have to, I'll take this son of a bitch out myself!" Sonic inserted a WideSword chip and began to charge at his enemy, who refused to dodge his attack or even move an inch. As Sonic's arm swung to strike his enemy with the sword, the sword quickly broke into shards, which vaporized into dust and became nonexistent. (What the hell!) he thought. Sonic quickly regained focus and tried again with another WideSword. Still, even though he applied more force, the sword shattered into pieces. However, before Sonic could get another move in, Metal Sonic's hand wrapped itself around the blue-haired hero's neck, strangling him and bringing him closer to death. Robotnik was laughing his fat ass off at the failed attempts of our heroes. "This is priceless!" he exclaimed. "Oh, and here I thought you might actually SCRATCH him! But it seems that...I was wrong!" Laughter echoed through the emptiness of the Cyberworld. Suddenly, Robotnik snapped his fingers, and the grip Metal Sonic had on Sonic quickly grew stronger, and his eyes glowed a completely lifeless red. His body began to shine a dark, evil blue light. "Metal Sonic!" shouted Robotnik. "Do it, NOW! Evos Noah Purge!" With those three words spoken, Metal Sonic threw our captured hero high into the air, and within the blink of an eye, he was already there to meet the sight of the crash into the walls of cyberspace. Metal Sonic grew a massive, elegant metal sword on his right arm, and the sword slashed our hero numerous time, finally pushing his weakened body onto the edge of the blade and slamming him back into the ground, causing a massive shattering of the fabrics of cyberspace. Mina was the first to take action, and she readied three BronzeArrow chips and shot them all at Metal Sonic, all three of them landing a direct blow and damaging the enemy. What caught Tails' attention was a shining object falling from his chest, but before it reached the ground, Tails dashed over to it and grabbed it, revealing that it was the red Chaos Emerald. "I get it now..." he said.

"Tails!" shouted Knuckles as he readied a SilverAxe on his left arm. "What the hell're you doing!" Tails began to shout back at his friends. "Everyone!" he began. "That's the weakness! Aim for Metal Sonic's chest! That's where the seven Chaos Emeralds are embedded! If you destroy the chest-" Before Tails could finish, Metal Sonic overheard the loud shouting and dashed downwards to attack Tails, only to fail when Mina dashed over and used a Barrier chip. "That'll hold him for a bit!" she exclaimed. "Guys! Aim for him! NOW!" Knuckles bolted over to Metal Sonic, stabbing him in the chest and causing the blue Chaos Emerald to fall from him, only to have it fall into Knuckles' other hand. "Amy!" he shouted. "Hurry up!" Amy loaded a WideShot2 chip and fired at Metal Sonic. Knuckles dodged the attack, but Metal Sonic was unable to, considering he had a sharp, silver axe stabbed straight through his plated chest. The attack hit dead-on, sending the yellow Chaos Emerald spiraling out of him and into Amy's grasp. Before Metal Sonic regained focus, Sonic dashed to him and kneed him in the face, sending him spiraling into the air and the green Chaos Emerald into Mina's grasp. Sonic jumped high into the air and met with his enemy, readying a FireSword and striking him point-blank, burning more of his chest and sending the silver Chaos Emerald down to the ground, which was quickly caught by Knuckles. Mina quickly turned back to look at Tails. "How many does that make now!" she demanded. Tails closed his eyes to count, and he swiftly retaliated with an answer. "That's five!" he exclaimed. "She shouldn't be too strong to fight now! Everyone! All-out assault on Metal Sonic!" Robotnik could do nothing but watch helplessly, his jaw wide open and on the ground. "Damn those stupid kids!" he exclaimed. "They managed to stop Metal Sonic's ultimate attack! No matter...as long as he has the two emeralds remaining, he can use it." Robotnik once again entered into Metal's mind. "Metal Sonic!" he demanded. "I command you once more! Use Evos Noah Purge!" Metal Sonic complied, and he suddenly put up a huge, gold-tinted barrier that had the power to block all weak attacks. He then began to charge his ultimate attack, his body slowly being consumed by a dark-blue light of evil omens. The heroes felt powerless to stop him, and all they could do was wait and see what would happen. "Damn it!" exclaimed Knuckles. "Isn't there a way we can stop it!" Sonic felt weak and hopeless, but before he rushed to any conclusions, his left pocket began to glow, and he reached into it to find three glowing chips: CyberSword, WideSword, and LongSword.

"What...?" said Sonic, confused at the sight he had witnessed. Suddenly, the chips began to flash instead of glow, and Sonic felt it necessary to try something new. "All right..." he said. "It's worth a shot...especially now!" With that decided, he quickly inserted the three chips in that order, and his friends were glued to Sonic as his body began to flash a bright color. The sword he had grown on his arm was not a Cyber, Wide, nor a LongSword. No...it was an omnipotently powerful upgrade of all three combined! He had achieved a new level of battling! Sonic rose the sword into the air, which required the additional force of his other arm to even hold the sword up. "NOW!" he shouted. "Program Advance! LIFESWORD!" With those words spoken, his feet dashed him towards Metal Sonic, and right before making contact with the barrier, he jumped into the air and descended with his sword ready for impact. The massive blade made a direct hit on the barrier, which quickly began to crack and eventually shattered into millions of small fragments. His friends were nothing short of mindfucked. "Unthinkable!" exclaimed Tails. "What...what just happened!" Mina tried to sound like she knew what she was talking about. "Program Advance..." she said. "I've heard of that before...from my brother, Asch! It happens when you insert a certain combination of chips in a specific order. You gain an awesome, overwhelming power that more than makes up for the chips you used for it! LifeSword...it was the combination of CyberSword, WideSword, and LifeSword! What unspeakable strength...It even managed to bust Metal Sonic's barrier!" Knuckles gave Sonic a smile of appreciation. "Nice work, Sonic!" he exclaimed. "Now, let's take care of the rest!" Sonic grinned at his enthusiastic friend. "You got it!" he exclaimed. But before they could do anything, Metal Sonic released a burst of concentrated energy, sending the team of friends spiraling into the air and far away from Metal. Robotnik was heard laughing in triumph.

"I must admit..." Robotnik began. "You are quite skilled when it comes to this! Program Advances aren't discovered every day, you know! But even though you were successful in shattering Metal's barrier, you're too late! He still possesses two Chaos Emeralds inside of him, meaning that his energy is concentrated at LEAST four times faster than usual! You took your sweet time, heroes...Now, you'll pay the price! Metal Sonic! Release your ultimate energy! EVOS NOAH PURGE!" With those words, Metal Sonic's body began to shine a mystical white light, and within seconds, he released an explosion that could easily top that of a hydrogen bomb. It was so powerful, back in the real world, the Black District was quickly falling apart, pieces of the facility crumbling and crashing to the ground. If the heroes didn't hurry and win the fight, they would be crushed under the rubble of the Black District. They didn't have much time left...it was now or never for them! The heroes managed to recover from the massive explosion, and even after being separated, they regrouped and managed to stay alert. "Where's Sonic!" exclaimed Mina. But before they had time to ponder, clangs and clashes of swords were heard not too far in the distance. Sonic and Metal were having an all-out blade bash against one another, and Metal managed to break Sonic's sword, leving him defenseless. Before he could reach into his pocket and grab another chip, he suddenly felt a massive sting enter his chest, and it remained there. Blood was seen coming from his chest, and his friends from a distance were frozen in shock and despair as to what they have just witnessed. Sonic had been stabbed straight through the chest by his enemy, the blade lodged tightly into him. Metal lifted the sword into the air, Sonic lifelessly hanging from its edge. He then charged a powerful beam of energy from his evil, red-stained metallic eyes. Releasing the beams of energy, they hit Sonic almost point-blank, causing an explosion and sending him flying off the tip of the sword and motionless on the ground in front of his enemy. In despair, Mina quickly ran over to her injured friend and attempted to tend to his wounds. "Sonic!" she screamed as she made her way towards him. She kneeled down to examine his wounds, which were far too severe for mere Recovery chips to repair. "Sonic...?" she said, placing her hand on his cheek. "C'mon, Sonic, wake up..." Her words granted her no response. She soon began to think that he was really dead. "Sonic!" she exclaimed, trying her best to get even a flinch from him. "Sonic! Please! Answer me! Sonic! SONIC!" Tears began to run down her face, and they just wouldn't stop coming. Robotnik found it necessary to laugh at this sight. "This is just beautiful!" he exclaimed. "I TOLD you all that Metal Sonic was unstoppable! Now, your precious friend is down for the count! There's NOTHING you can do to stop me, now!" Mina slowly shook her head. She refused to accept the fact that he was dead. "No!" she exclaimed. "He...He can't be..."

"Oh, but he IS, my dear!" exclaimed Robotnik in pure and absolute joy. "Your precious Sonic...is DEAD! GONE! You'll never see him again!" He laughed maniacally, which obviously pissed Mina off to no end. "You...sick bastard..." she said, rising to her feet and finding a new level of rage. Tails was the first to snap out of the shock, and he noticed something odd with Sonic. He then grabbed Mina's attention. "Mina!" he shouted over to her. "It's not true! Sonic's alive! Use these!" Mina looked over to Tails, who was getting ready to throw the five Chaos Emeralds they had over to her. Doing so, she caught every last one of them, and she ran over to Sonic and attempted to heal him. Not able to stay idle, Metal Sonic began charging up another fatal attack, this time a personalized form of the LifeSword. If this attack were to hit anything, they would die almost instantly due to its massive amount of power. Robotnik started slamming his hands on the machines in the room he was in, watching the whole fight like some kind of movie. "Yes, Metal!" he exclaimed. "That's it...Use the Metal Life Sword and kill them ALL! The world we seek is almost within our grasp! KILL THEM!" Metal did not hesitate his energy storing, and within seconds the attack would be ready to use. The Chaos Emeralds suddenly began to resonate with a light corresponding to their colors. They began spinning in midair and flashing nonstop, dissolving into Sonic's chest and causing him to emit a massive white light, which quickly began to wave like that of a flame. Mina stared in awe as she witnessed this scene, but before she knew it, Metal Sonic was steps away from landing his attack and ending this fight. Jumping into the air, he was ready to strike. But before he came back down, the light that surrounded Sonic changed from a white light to a light-blue flaming aura, and it released a burst of awesome energy that threw Metal Sonic off balance and cancelled his attack. Metal did nothing but stare at the flame, and within seconds afterwards, a huge blast was shot from within it, landing a direct blow on Metal Sonic and dealing an insane amount of damage. Mina found herself in the arms of a man, the very same one who attacked Metal and landed that devastating blow. She looked up to see that it was none other than Sonic, alive and back on his feet, ready to finish the battle once and for all!

"Thank you, Mina," Sonic said. "The Chaos Emeralds...they gave me this awesome power...Now, I feel stronger than ever...And with this power, I can EASILY win this fight!" Sonic released Mina from his embrace, and he slowly began walking towards Metal Sonic, who began to shoot energy beams from his eyes. However, to the surprise of the team of friends, they were ineffective and seemed to be missing on purpose, even though that wasn't the case. Robotnik stared in shock and despair. "N-No!" he denied. "This can't be! This battle...my ultimate weapon...being reduced to NOTHING!" Metal Sonic fired a large missile from his arm, but seconds before it even left his arm, Sonic practically warped over to Metal Sonic and punched him straight in the face, sending him flying into the air, leaving him defenseless and open for an assault. Taking the chance, Sonic began to charge up an enormous energy blast, which would take a short amount of time. But Metal was not ready to accept defeat, and so, he poured every last bit of the energy he had remaining-as well as the limitless energy stored within the Chaos Emeralds-into one final Evos Noah Purge attack. This one attack would settle the fight...Only one of them would be walking away from this alive! Metal was the first to release his attack, and he skipped using explosions and focused the energy into a blast, just like Sonic, who released his energy shortly afterwards. The two struggled with their energy for a while, pushing back and forth to find a way to win. Metal's body began to disintegrate, and Sonic's clothes started getting tears and his skin was inflicted with numerous cuts, showing just how much power was being put into this final strike.

Back in the real world, Lan, Hub, and Yuichiro had found a way to broadcast the remainder of the fight on worldwide television, showing everyone throughout the world who was fighting for their safety and for their futures. Everyone who laid eyes on the screens they were watching began cheering the name of their hero. "Sonic!" "Sonic!" The entire world was on his side, and somehow, he could feel it. (The whole world's counting on me...) he thought. (This can't be it for me...Not if I have a say in it!) With one final push, Sonic unleashed even more energy than before. "NEON SONIC PULSE!" With those words spoken, every last bit of energy Sonic could afford was poured into his blast, giving it more power than that of Metal's. It quickly began to consume Metal's energy, sending it back at him and also landing Sonic's energy on him, creating an explosion far stronger than Metal's Evos Noah Purge! Within the light that explosion created, Metal's entire body began to disintegrate into thin air, and within seconds, Metal Sonic was no more. Shortly after defeating Metal Sonic, the area was quiet. The friends could do nothing but stare in shock and amazement at Sonic's demonstration of power. Scarred in every possible part of his body, Sonic managed to give his friends a grin...right before falling down to the ground passed out and out of energy. Knuckles quickly ran over to Sonic and placed him over his shoulders, and within seconds, the entire place began to shake and crumble. "Jack out, everyone!" Tails exclaimed. "This place is going to blow! We need to get out now!" Agreeing with their wise friend, they all jacked out of the Cyberworld and began running out of the building. Barely escaping with their lives, the gang stood there watching the Black District as it began tumbling down to the ground in shambles. Knuckles carefully placed Sonic up against a nearby flagpole so he could have a momentary rest before getting him to the hospital. He then looked over to the ruined facility. "It's over..." he said. "Finally...the nightmare ends." Tails shook his head in disagreement. "No," he began, "I don't think this is where he plans to end things. He obviously got out before we did...When Sonic transformed into Neon Sonic, he knew from then the fight was over. I have to admit...he's smarter than I thought he was. But...I have a feeling...he'll cause more trouble, and we'll have to stop him once again before he gets his chance to realize his stupid dreams."

"We'll stop him," Sonic managed to say, fooling everyone into thinking he was passed out. "Robotnik...he...needs to pay...for what he did...And...he will...We'll...stop him...whenever...he..." Before he could finish his sentence, Sonic drifted off to sleep. He was obviously exhausted, far more so than his friends. Amy chuckled a little at the sight of the tired Sonic. "Let's get him to the hospital," she said. "He needs medical attention." As the three friends began their way to the hospital with Sonic on in their grasp, Mina attempted to stop them before going too far. "Umm..." she attempted to say. "If you guys don't mind...can I go with you? I wanna make sure he's okay. Please." Knuckles nodded and grinned at Mina. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "You're our friend, now! But, on one condition: YOU have to help CARRY him! He's heavy as shit!" Mina was thrown off-balance for a moment, and then she returned with a laugh. "Okay!" she said cheerfully, taking Sonic from Knuckles' grasp and aiding Tails and Amy instead. Before they got too far, though, numerous policemen, a fire truck and an ambulence greeted them on their way. The nurses quickly brought a stretcher and placed Sonic on it, and the fire men began to put out the fires the Black District left behind from the battle. The police men began to question the teenagers. "Did you all do this!" he asked. "What's going on here!" Mina gave them a sigh. "Please, officer," she said, "Can we get to the hospital first? After our friend's okay, we'll explain everything." The officer slowly nodded and ran back into his car, where as the friends of Sonic got into the ambulence and rode in it with him. As the cops and nurses drove away to the hospital, the events that took place that day would forever be remembered by the world as the greatest battle to save mankind. High school students had single-handedly saved the human race from total destruction...and it's only the beginning! As Tails stated before, Robotnik is still out there, plotting his next scheme to take over the world. The Chaos Emeralds-all seven of them-were scattered all across the world once again, and odds are, Robotnik's next evil plan will involve getting them...but next time, he will go too far and tap into powers no mortal ever should...So, the day ended, and the fight was over. People around the world started cheering and celebrating Sonic's victory and heralded him as the world's hero. But what mattered the most was one fact, and one fact only:The battle was over, and the war...was won. 


	11. Chapter 11

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 11 The Aftermath

His eyes slowly began to open, and he turned his head slightly to the right to see his friends, sitting anxiously for their friend to awaken. There was a television hanging from the wall, and it already had the attention of Knuckles and Tails. The two girls in the picture were sitting next to one another, staring straight at Sonic and waiting every second for him to wake up. When he finally awoke, his arms attempted to lift him so that his back was pressed against his pillow. Mina was the first one to react, and she immediately rose out of her seat and over to Sonic, trying her best to get him to lay back down. "Sonic!" she said. "Please...you need to rest." Sonic looked over at Mina, and he gave her a smile. "Yeah..." he said. "Thanks, Mina." Tails and Knuckles suddenly turned to see him awake, and they got on their feet and walked close to the bed. "Welcome back, hero!" Tails played. "How'd you sleep?" Sonic looked slowly over to his two other friends. "Hey..." he said, very weak. "How long...have I been out?" Knuckles laughed when he heard his friend's question. "About...three hours," he said. "It's a little past nine, right now. The nurses told us we could stay here until you woke up." Amy began to hug Sonic tightly, which obviously threw him in pain. "Ohhhh!" she exclaimed. "I'm so HAPPY you're awake! Thank god!" Sonic struggled to get her off of him. "Okay, okay!" he said, still weak and only about half-full of energy. "I get it...Damn..." Mina closed her eyes and lit with a smile. "I'm...really glad you woke up, Sonic," she admitted. "That battle...You were awesome." Tails nodded his head in agreement. "Absolutely!" he declared. "When you shifted into Neon form, you were unstoppable! I mean, other than that last attack...Metal didn't even stand a chance! That was incredible! And what's more, the entire world saw you do it! You're the world's hero! In fact..." Tails reached into his backpack, and he pulled out tons and tons of envelopes, each with a letter inside. "These letters are from just SOME of the people who saw the final battle!" he exclaimed. "You're famous throughout the world!"

"By the way," Mina began, "Lan and Hub asked me to give you this, Sonic." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a very well-made metal chain that would go well with his clothes. "They told me that if you attach a chip to the necklace," she continued, "It'll gain double the power. But it only works once per battle. Anyways, congratulations, Sonic!" Sonic slowly threw a grin on his face. "Thanks a lot, Mina," he said. She gave Sonic a puzzled look. "What for?" she asked. Sonic looked down in thought. "For just...being there for me," he said. "Thank you...I mean that." Mina's eyes slowly began to well up, and she kneeled down and placed her hands on top of Sonic's right one. "You dummy," she said, trying to fight back her tears. "I...I'm always happy to help you, Sonic. Please...no matter what...don't scare me like that...okay?" Sonic placed his other hand on Mina's left cheek. "Don't worry, Mina," he said. "I promise." Knuckles and Tails immediately caught on to what was happening. "Weeeell," Tails said, "We'd better get going. We'll check you later, Sonic. Get well soon, okay?" Knuckles and Tails slowly walked outside of the room, and Amy followed, but very hesitantly. As the door closed behind them, Mina's eyes began to drop tears. Sonic felt guilty...VERY guilty. He almost died during their fight with Metal, and she thought he was really gone. If not for the power of the Chaos Emerald data, he would still be lying there, lifeless and cold. She took her hand and slowly massaged Sonic's, which was still placed gently on her cheek. "You're still here..." she said. "With me..."

"Mina?" asked Sonic, who wasn't very aware of her true feelings. "Are you...okay? Please don't cry." Mina suddenly broke from him, and she wiped her cheeks and face to get the tears off. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just...let my emotions get the better of me. Anyways, I'm glad you're okay, Sonic." Sonic nodded at his friend. "Yeah," he said. "Me, too." It wasn't until three months later that the hospital allowed Sonic to return home. His broken bones were fixed up, and he was finally back to normal. He decided to take a nice walk through the December-covered city. The atmosphere was cold, almost frigid. A chilling breeze would flow through the air every few minutes or so. Everyone that was outside was practically consumed in sweaters and clothes of the sort. Snow had fallen to the ground from the cold, damp sky, and people of all ages were diving in it and playing in it like there was no tomorrow. Christmas was just around the corner, and Sonic knew for a fact that one of his friends would be throwing a party to celebrate it. During his walk, a familiar face showed up in front of him. "Sonic!" he exclaimed. The teenage boy ran up to him. He was garmented in a grey sweater and black pants, zipped tightly to prevent coldness. "That's your name, right?" he asked. Sonic nodded with a smile. "Yeah, it is," he responded. "What's your name?" The boy gave Sonic a grin. "Ash!" he said. "I'm Mina's sister. Listen, bud, I just wanted to thank you for what you've done. Y'know, saving the world, and all...But to think that my sister was there to help you! That's great!"

"Yeah!" agreed Sonic. "Your sister's an amazing person, Ash. She's strong, beautiful, and smart. You're lucky!" Ash laughed at his words. "Yeah, you're right," he said. "So, anyways, I was actually on my way to your house. You see, Mina and I are having a Christmas party! I was gonna ask you and your other friends if you wanted to come join us!" Sonic gave Ash a small laugh of excitement. "That sounds awesome!" he exclaimed. "Yeah! Sure! I'll be there! I'm gonna go tell everyone, too!" Ash got ready to run back home, and he turned to face Sonic once more. "See you this weekend!" he exclaimed before dashing back home. Sonic did the same thing, running to his house and beginning to send an E-Mail to his friends about the party. As he arrived home, the door shut behind him, and his legs bolted him up the stairs and into his room, flopping himself onto his bed. "This Sunday is Christmas," he said. "So, we're gonna be spending Christmas with Mina and Ash this year!" Sonic grabbed his Star Carrier and began to send an E-Mail to all of his friends. "Christmas party...Mina's house..." the letter began. "Meet me at the center of the cul-de-sac Saturday at six. Bring a present! -Sonic." With his E-Mail finished, he sent it to his friends. Now, all he would have to do is wait.

As time passed, Saturday came by almost too suddenly. It was already six in the evening, and Sonic was there waiting for his friends to arrive. In his hand was a small present. It was wrapped in very nice sapphire paper, and it had a cute little red bow at the top of it. The three other friends all came simultaneously, and they were all dressed in winter wear; nothing special, nothing casual. Each one had a gift in their hands, Tails' gift being the biggest one of them all. Sonic's face lit with a grin when he saw his friends. "Hey, guys!" he said. "Thanks a lot for coming with me tonight." Knuckles scratched behind his ear in dislike. "Yeah, well," he said, "It took a lot of explaining to get out of this one. My dad was sore about the whole idea, but when I told him you guys would be there, he agreed to let me go." Tails laughed at Knuckles' short story. "I had it easy, actually," he said. "Both my mom and dad are out of town, so I can pretty much go wherever I want in town." Amy giggled at Tails. "Well, I had to talk with my mom about it a lot, so..." she said. "Anyways, are we all ready to go?" Tails gave Sonic a happy suspicious look. "What'd you get Mina, Sonic?" he asked. Sonic's cheeks turned a slight crimson. "How do you know it's for Mina!" he exclaimed. Knuckles laughed when he heard his blue-haired friend say this. "C'mon, dude," he said. "It's OBVIOUS that you're into her." Amy giggled. "Yeah," she said. "And it's obvious she has a thing for you!"

"Wow, Amy..." replied a surprised Sonic. "I didn't think you would be the one to say that..." He suddenly shook his head and let out a displeased moan. "B-But I DON'T have a crush on her!" he exclaimed. "We're just friends! Really! I swear!" Tails laughed at his panicking friend. "Well, anyway, let's be on our way," he said. The four friends began their walk to Mina's house, shortly arriving and knocking on the door. They could hear a TV on in the background, and loud music thumping in the backyard. The first one to come to the door was Ash, who was extatic to see the group of friends. "Sonic! Everyone!" he exclaimed. "Please! Come on in!" As the four friends entered the household, they witnessed how many people were there and who was doing what. Football players from the high school were attempting to throw a football in the house, barely missing some pretty pricey valuables. Popular girls from the same school were practically drooling over the football players. Some nerds were there, as well, playing some kind of video game in the back where nobody else dared to go. "Wow..." Sonic said, his eyes glued to his surroundings. "I thought this was just gonna be us!"

"Oh, it will be!" shouted Ash, trying to be heard over the music. "This is just the main party. When everyone else leaves, all of us are gonna open gifts and stuff!" Sonic grinned at his friend. "Say, where's your sister?" he asked. Ash replied with an even louder tone. "UPSTAIRS IN HER ROOM!" he shouted. Sonic quickly moved through the crowd of people and up the stairs, knocking on the door near them and hearing a light, "Come in!" from inside the room. He slowly turned the knob and opened the door, revealing a beautiful room that was neatly organized and clean. Some plush dolls were seen hanging from a ceiling net, and they were placed very carefully inside of it. There was a bathroom inside of the room, and the door leading to it was closed. There was already someone inside. However, the doorknob slowly began to turn, and the person who was inside came out into the room. It was Mina, who was wearing her usual attire of a black tanktop, tan pants, and her usual black hairband. As she turned to face the person who came into her room, she suddenly grew very happy. "Sonic!" she exclaimed. "Hey! It's nice to see you again!"

"Likewise!" replied Sonic, a grin spread across his face. "Merry Christmas!" Mina gave Sonic a slight laugh. "Merry Christmas to you!" she replied happily. "So, umm...here, I got you this." Mina handed Sonic a small box that was wrapped in shiny black wrapping, topped off with a pretty red bow. He took the gift with a smile. "Wow...Thanks, Mina!" he said. "This looks promising!" Mina gave Sonic a giggle. "So, hey, you wanna head downstairs?" she asked. Sonic smiled at her and offered his hand. "Yeah," he said. "Let's go." Mina took his hand and they both went back downstairs, enjoying the party as it was. Time passed, and it was already eleven. Everyone but the chosen friends had returned home, surprisingly leaving behind almost no mess. What was left over was cleaned before the friends sat down to open each others' gifts. A bright, large green tree stood near the TV that was in the living room. Numerous gifts-ones that were only between Mina and Ash-were scattered beneath its lush, healthy branches. The six friends sat next to one another in a circle, passing their gifts to their corresponding receiver. "Tails," asked Mina, "You wanna start us off?" Tails smiled and nodded at his friend, and he began to unwrap the medium-sized box that he had before him. A new software that had just been developed by SciLab was revealed. "Sweet!" exclaimed Tails. "This is the new SC Program Maker! Things're gonna be so much easier from now on!" Mina and Ash both smiled widely at the sight of the enthusiastic Tails, who looked straight up at the two siblings. "Thank you both so much!" he exclaimed. "This is an amazing gift!"

"You're welcome!" Mina and Ash exclaimed at the same time. Knuckles was next, and he opened his gift rather quickly. He was anxious to see what they had given him. It was a hefty stack of chips that involved the things Knuckles liked the best; axes, knuckles, you name it. "Awesome!" he exclaimed. "Thanks a lot, you two!" Amy was next, and she opened her gift to reveal a very pricey new dress. It was sealed inside of a plastic bag to keep it from ruining and wrinkling. It was black and sparkly, and it shined in the light brilliantly. It would most certainly look good on Amy. "This is beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Mina!" Sonic was next, and his gift was from Mina. When he opened it, he smiled with an open mouth as he pulled a very fashionable silver chain from the box he was given. It was very flashy, and at the end of it was a silver capital "S" engraved, which stood for "Sonic." "This is awesome!" he exclaimed. "Thanks a ton, you two!" Mina's cheeks turned a slight red. "Absolutely!" she replied. Ash was next, and he opened his gift to find a new software created by SciLab, as well. "This is that new Auto-Clean TV, right?" he questioned. "Great! This'll stop our TV from going out during thunderstorms and whatnot...Thanks a lot, you guys!" Mina was next, but she looked down to realize that she didn't have anything from anyone. She suddenly grew sad, and she looked down in depression. But just before she gave up hope, a box suddenly got close to her face. It was the same sapphire box that Sonic had prepared for this moment. "This is for you, Mina," he grinned. Mina took the box slowly with a smile on her face, and she steadily began to open it. When she finally got through the wrapping paper, she lifted the lid of the box it was in. Suddenly, her eyes widened. A few seconds later, tears began to fill her eyes. She put her left hand over her mouth and gasped, for she was so happy to see what Sonic had gotten her. "This is..." she attempted to say. Tears fell from her eyes; she could no longer hold them back, for her happiness had gotten the best of her. "My...My locket!"

"Your...What!" questioned Ash. "What's your locket-" Tails felt the need to interrupt before he could finish. "Robotnik attacked us...and...he stole the locket Mina had and took the data that was inside of it," he replied. His head-along with everyone else's-turned to look at Sonic. "How'd you find this!" exclaimed Knuckles. Sonic smiled and looked at Mina, who was still staring at her locket, tears falling from her eyes. "It was during the fight with Metal," he began to explain. "When I transformed into Neon form, I hit Metal and sent him flying. Remember? And when he went flying, I saw the locket fall from his chest and onto the ground. And when we had that final attack-the one that ended up killing him-I moved over to where the locket was and launched the attack. Remember how I kinda staggered when I tried to beat him? The reason I was losing energy was because I was kneeling down to get the locket, and when I did, I finished the fight. I just...didn't get the chance to give it back to her. When I was in the hospital, it totally slipped my mind, so...I forgot. I'm really sorry about that..." His face went from happy to sad, and he stood up from the group of friends and walked outside with a guilty look on his face. Everyone felt sorry for both Sonic and Mina, but when she finally looked up and realized that Sonic had left, she quickly rose to her feet and ran out after him. He had only gotten to the front porch before she came outside to confront him. "Sonic! Wait!" she exclaimed.

"Mina...?" said Sonic, almost as a whisper. "Hey...Umm...I'm sorry I forgot to give you the locket back at the hospital." Mina ran over to Sonic and flung herself into him, her arms wrapping themselves around him tightly. "M-Mina..." he said, a little shocked. Mina's eyes began to exude tears once more. "Sonic..." she tried to say. "Thank you...so much...I never thought I'd see my locket again..." Sonic's eyes shut slowly. "It must be really important to you, huh?" he asked. Mina looked up at Sonic, and she nodded to give him an answer. "Yes," she said. "It...belonged to my mother. When she died...I got this from one of her friends. Ash has one from Dad, too...They're both...dead..." Sonic froze in shock. (What...?) he thought. (Mina, too? I don't believe it...) Sonic slowly put his arms around her, as to return the hug. "I'm sorry..." he said. "I didn't know your parents were dead...But...If it makes you feel any better...mine are, too." Mina nodded. "I know," she said, tears still in her eyes. "That's why...I feel that you're the only person I can open up to. I trust you, Sonic...with more than my life." The two slowly broke from their hug, and Sonic gently placed his right hand on Mina's cheek, which was a little flustered from her crying. "Yeah..." he said. "Me, too. I trust you, Mina...more than anyone else."

Suddenly, the two looked up above them. It was a very cliche'd moment, but there was a small brand of mistletoe right above them. It secretly hung from the roof of the house, and it was right above them in the position they were in. Mina was the first one to say something. "A mistletoe..." she said, very quietly. Sonic just stared up at it before he found words to say. "Yeah..." he said. The two of them then reverted their eyes back to one another. There was a lingering silence between them. Suddenly, Mina leaned over to Sonic and gave him a kiss, planted right on his lips. After about two seconds, she broke off. She simply stared into his eyes, and a few seconds later, Sonic gently placed both of his hands on her cheeks, and he slowly moved in for a far more passionate kiss. Mina was suddenly surprised, but she didn't even try to break away from him. This is what she wanted. More than anything else in the world. She slowly and gently rose her arms and put her hands across his neck, and her leg slowly lifted to show this was the kiss she wanted. They swerved their heads and massaged one another to make the kiss more passionate and romantic, and it easily did. They kissed for more than a minute, and they finally broke apart. Sonic's hands were still placed on her cheeks, and Mina still had her arms wrapped around his neck. They softly placed their heads against one another and closed their eyes, just holding each other there for a moment. It was as if they didn't want this moment to stop. It was finally decided that the two would be together. Not as friends, but lovers.

The two returned back into the house, and everyone was concerned for Mina. "You feeling okay?" asked Ash. Mina nodded at her brother. "Yeah," she said. "I'm fine, now. Thanks, guys." Knuckles suddenly looked down at his watch, and it read past midnight. "Oh, damn!" he said. "It's already past midnight...Guess I better get going. I'm tired as hell. Thanks for inviting me, you two. Take care, and Merry Christmas!" Knuckles bolted out the door and back home, and Tails and Amy followed. "Thanks again, you guys!" Amy said. "This was an awesome party! Merry Christmas!" Tails bowed in appreciation and followed Amy out the door. Sonic, Mina, and Ash were the only ones left in the room. Sonic smiled at the siblings. "Well, guess I better get goin'-" But before he managed to walk outside, Ash grabbed his shoulder. "Wait, Sonic," he said. Sonic turned to face him, and Ash removed his hand from Sonic's shoulder. "I'd like it if you spent the night here," he said. "Whaddya say?" Sonic looked over at Mina and back to Ash. "Umm...sure," he said. "I don't see why not." The rest of the night, Sonic and Ash talked and discussed about numerous things. Mina was the first one to go to bed, and she did so before the two started talking. In other words, she was out cold. And, at about three in the morning, so were Sonic and Ash. A couple of weeks passed, and Sonic and friends ended up spending New Years Eve at Mina's house, as well. It was the middle of January when things finally began to pick up...both for the best, and for the worst... 


	12. Chapter 12

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 12 FullSynchro-A New Power!

It was a bright, shining morning. Sonic was still at home, even though it was arguably the time to wake up and get your day started. Of course, our hero wasn't exactly a morning person. His pillow-which you would typically be putting your head on-had consumed his head from beneath it. The pillow was laying on him this time. He was snoring, but not heavily. About ten seconds later, he was awoken unexpectedly by a vibrating Star Carrier. He had received an E-Mail, one from Yuichiro, head-scientist of SciLab. "What the...?" Sonic said, still half-asleep. His hair was pretty much scattered in every direction. His eyes, only half-opened, began to read the text of the E-Mail. "Dear Sonic," he began, "This is Yuichiro from SciLab. I would like for you and your friends to come to my work lab. In this E-Mail, I have included a Metroline ticket for you. Oh, and I've also sent one to your friends, so they will be joining you there. I hope to see you, as well! Lan and Hub have been begging me to get you over here, so please don't disappoint them! -Yuichiro." Sonic let out a sigh. "Well," he said, "Guess I better get going." He quickly dressed himself in his usual attire and walked out the front door of his house. The Metroline station wasn't but a five minute walk away. It was the easiest way to travel in all of Station Square. As he got on the Metroline and got off, his friends were waiting for them in the lobby. Tails was waving his arm for Sonic to get his attention. "Heeeeey!" he exclaimed. Sonic walked over to his friends, Mina being among them. "Hi, Sonic!" she said. Sonic looked at Mina and grinned. "Hey there, beautiful!" he replied. She walked up to him and gave him a kiss on his lips, which he happily returned. The three friends were suddenly in shock. "Wh...Whoa!" stuttered Knuckles. "I...I had no idea! You two are dating now! That's awesome!" Tails was also very enthusiastic, but Amy was over in the corner shooting flames from her eyes and teeth. "Congrats to you two!" said Tails, very considerately. "Anyways, you all got the mail from Yuichiro, right?"

"Yeah," Sonic replied to Tails. "He told us to meet him in his lab. Let's get going." Mina reached out a hand, causing Sonic to smile and take it with his. The two walked together and the other three friends followed. Inside of Yuichiro's lab, he was sitting in his computer chair working on a new program, when he suddenly caught the group of friends in his sight. "Oh!" he said. "Sonic! All of you! Good to see you all again. Please excuse my letter being on such short notice." Sonic gave the scientist a smile. "Hey, forget it," he grinned. "We're just happy to be here." Yuichiro gave the blue-haired hero a smile. "Thanks, Sonic," he said. "Now, then...Sonic, I'd like to see you in a Netbattle." Sonic suddenly got a confused look. "Huh?" he asked. "Umm...sure, but can I ask why?" Yuichiro put a hand on his shoulder. "You see," he tried to explain, "I analyzed the fight you had with MetalSonic. Your moves were incredible...but...when you returned to the real world, your body was practically in shambles. You spent a few months in the hospital afterwards, right?" Sonic slowly nodded to agree. "Exactly," he continued. "That's what got me thinking about you, Sonic...I found out that you used a power no one else in this world has. I call the theory...FullSynchro!"

"FullSynchro?" asked Knuckles. "What the hell is that?" Yuichiro gave Knuckles a chuckle. "You see," his explanation continued on, "Sonic is the only man in this world that has this power. FullSynchro is a new power I theorized. It happens whenever someone fighting in the Cyberworld breaks the barrier between that world and the real world. In other words, the two worlds combine as one and become energy to use in a Netbattle. It's basically gaining power from your actual self in the real world and giving it to you in the Cyberworld, but this has a major drawback. See, if you use FullSynchro's power too much, and you drain all of your real body's energy, you'll also drain its life, as well. In short, using FullSynchro to the edge can get you killed." Mina gasped. "That's why...Sonic had to get to the hospital!" she exclaimed. "He used FullSynchro too much...but...I wonder...when did you start to use it?" Tails attempted to join the conversation. "Probably when he transformed into Neon form," he said. "Neon Sonic was when he borrowed life energy from Sonic's body in the real world, and it's because of that he managed to beat MetalSonic. Using the power of the Chaos Emeralds made him enter FullSynchro. It would seem that the emeralds have that kind of power...Enough power to bend the barriers between the two worlds and combine them to form a new power."

"Actually," replied Yuichiro, "A simpler form of FullSynchro is active whenever a Netbattle takes place. If you feel pain in the Cyberworld, your real body will only have slight aches and pains, but if you had the potential of FullSynchro, you could fight in the Cyberworld and die in the real world. I need you to perform FullSynchro one more time so I can get some more data on it. It's not going to be safe, but...can I depend on you?" Sonic nodded. "Sure," he said. Mina turned to face him and immediately objected. "Sonic!" she exclaimed. "What're you saying! You could...die doing this! Are you...sure you want to?" Sonic faced his girlfriend and gave her a slight kiss on the forehead, and a smile. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll make it out okay. Besides, I'm fighting for you guys, not myself. I'll be okay." Yuichiro then began to enter certain keys into his computer. "All right, Sonic," he said. "Jack into Cyberworld from here. I've called over an Official Netbattler to test you." Tails suddenly flipped out. "N-No way!" he exclaimed. "Sonic gets to fight an Official Netbattler! Awesome!" Amy started to worry about Tails. "What's so special about an Official?" she asked Yuichiro. He began to explain. "Well," he said, "To be put simply, Official Netbattlers are people who deal with Net Crime and save our world from it. If there's something in the Cyberworld that goes on, like a crime, they're the first to hear about it. They keep the whole world safe from terrorists and criminals."

"Sounds tough..." replied Sonic. "But that's good. I want a tough opponent." Sonic had already entered Cyberworld, and he was being displayed on a large screen so that everyone could see him. "Silver," Yuichiro suddenly said, "Jack in now." A voice was heard over a distant speaker. "...Yes, Yuichiro," it spoke. Suddenly, another Netbattler jacked into Cyberworld, and he was facing Sonic. His hair was spiky, almost too much so. It was a brilliant grey color, and his clothes were of a darker tint of the same color. His clothes were similar to those of Sonic's current clothes; an overshirt that didn't reach but halfway over his actual shirt. "You don't look so tough," he finally declared. "And you're the one who killed MetalSonic?" Sonic gave Silver a grin. "Yup," he said. "That's me. You got a problem with that?" Silver gave his opponent a half-smile, but not a happy one. "As a matter of fact..." he said, suddenly teleporting behind Sonic right afterwards. However, Sonic knew immediately what he planned to do, and he countered with a WideSword, striking Silver and sending him flying into the air. Sonic's legs launched him off of the ground and up to join Silver in midair. His body suddenly started to glow a light-blue color, and a large burst of energy suddenly forced itself out of him, sending his opponent flying back down to the ground and slamming right into it. Managing to get back on his feet, Silver prepared for the next attack, but was unable to do anything about it when he found Sonic teleporting right in front of him and punching him right in the face, sending him spiraling into a wall. Right before impact, Silver managed to land safely on the wall, and he stared right at the charging Sonic. He readied an ElectroSword for the upcoming impact. His legs launched him off the wall and straight at Sonic, striking him the electric blade and temporarily stunning Sonic. He found himself helpless, since he couldn't move. Silver readied an M-Cannon chip, and he aimed it right at his opponent. "This is the end for you, brat!" he shouted as he unleashed the massive force of his cannon.

As the dust cleared, Sonic was nowhere to be seen. Everyone watching the fight believed that he was killed by the blast, but shortly after basking in the glory, Silver found himself paralyzed and unable to move. "What the hell!" he exclaimed, falling to his knees stiffly. He suddenly looked up, and his eyes witnessed Sonic, storing energy for his great attack, the Neon Sonic Pulse. "EAT THIS!" he shouted, unleashing what was merely a fraction of what the attack was during the battle with Metal. Landing a direct blow on Silver, he was heard screaming in pain. After the explosion, he was seen badly damaged on the ground, bruises and cuts adorning his body. He slowly rose to his feet, but before he could, Sonic was there with a CyberSword in his face. "I'm not like you, Silver," he said. "Every time I strike you down...I feel your desires." Silver suddenly grew angry at his opponent. "Shut up..." he said, warning Sonic. He simply continued with a serious tone of voice. "You lust for power...and nothing but. Total...absolute power. That's all that matters to you, isn't it? Anyone that stands in your way is your enemy, right?" Sonic suddenly sheathed his sword, and he turned away from Silver. "You're pathetic," he continued. "I refuse to fight someone like you. Get outta here, before you end up dead. I know you're like me; you can achieve FullSynchro."

"What!" replied an astonished Yuichiro. "Sonic, what did you just say! Silver can enter FullSynchro!" Sonic replied to Yuichiro from Cyberworld. "That's right," he said. "He's fast, faster than me normally. That was my first sign. Teleportation was the real culprit. That's one of the powers of FullSynchro, and since I can only do it when I'm in it, he can only do it like that, too. But it seems that when you fight FullSynchro with FullSynchro, if you take damage, your energy will drain rapidly, so there's almost no point in fighting him in FullSynchro. Sorry, Yuichiro, but I don't plan on taking a life today. I'm jacking out now." Yuichiro got Sonic out of the Cyberworld, and when he returned, Sonic fell to his knees in exhaustion. His friends were obviously worried about him, but he managed to stand up. "I'm fine, guys..." he said. "Really, I am. This is just what to expect from using that much energy in FullSynchro." Yuichiro clapped his hands in appreciation. "Very impressive," he said to Sonic. "That was an excellent performance, Sonic. And so, I have good news for you. As of right now, you are officially recognized as an Official Netbattler of Station Square!"

"What!" exclaimed Sonic. "Really! Bad ASS!" Mina began clapping in excitement. "Congratulations, Sonic!" she exclaimed, jumping over and hugging Sonic. Tails clapped for his friend's great achievement. "Bravo, Sonic!" he said. "I'm happy for you!" Yuichiro continued speaking. "Now, then," he said. "Since you're going to be an Official, you'll need to be back here at ten in the morning, sharp. The Officials of the world will be here to admit you into their ranks. Congratulations, Sonic! You've done well!" Sonic nodded at Yuichiro. "Ten, right?" he reassured. "Okay, got it! I'll be here tomorrow. But hey, umm..." Yuichiro interrupted Sonic with a laugh. "Yes," he said, "Your friends can come, too. I'll send them invitations tomorrow morning. You just hurry on home and get some rest for tomorrow." Sonic grinned at his instructor. "Thanks a ton, Yuichiro!" he exclaimed. He turned to face his friends. "Well, let's get going, you guys!" The group of friends walked towards the exit, their hopes high for their blue-haired friend. Things may seem luxurious for our hero, but things are about to get serious...and deadly. New evils await our heroes in the distance, and they will tend to be far stronger than those they have fought already. It will take everything Sonic and friends have and more to stop them from destroying what they hold dear in this world... 


	13. Chapter 13

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 13 An Official Netbattler

It was a sunny morning. Light illuminated through solid glass windows like a prism, glaring right back at its source. The neighborhood was surprisingly quiet, its streets almost complete empty of chldren and adults alike. It was the morning our blue-haired wonder would join the ranks of an Official Netbattler. He was already awake, which was indeed surprising for this young teen. He was dressed in his usual clothes, thinking that such an event would not require fancy dressing. "Okay," he said, preparing himself for the ceremony. "This is it...Official Netbattler, Sonic! Sounds good!" His words ended prematurely as his ears ringed with the sound of a knock on his front door. "Oh?" he said, his head turning to face the direction of his front door. "Who could that be?" His legs slowly moved him over to the front door, and his right hand reached up to grab the knob. Turning it slowly, the door opened, revealing a thrilled Mina dressed in her usual clothing as well. "Good morning, sleepy head!" she giggled. "How'd you sleep?" Sonic grinned at his girlfriend's playful attitude. "Pretty well," he admitted. "So, hey, did you need something?"

"Huh? No..." she said, trying her best to keep a happy face. She put her hands on her hips and gave her boyfriend a suspicious expression. "It's not okay for me to be here?" she demanded. Sonic suddenly felt guilty, thinking of a way to get out of the spotlight. "Of course it is!" he retaliated, doing his best to sound nice about it. "I mean...I just...I normally don't expect someone at my house this early. I'm sorry." Mina giggled when she learned the truth. "Oh, it's fine," she played. "So, umm...do you wanna walk to SciLab together?" Sonic laughed and looked into Mina's eyes, a grin scattered across his face. "Ohhh!" he grinned. "THAT's why you came here!" Mina's cheeks turned a slight crimson color. "I-I just..." she attempted. "I thought...we could walk together...That's all!" Sonic placed his hands on Mina, turning her body to face his direction and causing her to look into his eyes. "Sure," he said. "I'd like that." Mina smiled at her lover, and she reached in for a kiss, which Sonic happily returned. They broke apart smiling. "C'mon," the spikey-haired hero said. "Let's get going." The two began their walk to the Metroline, which wouldn't take them long to get to; it was literally a five-minute walk from Sonic's house, and even shorter from Mina's. However, although their walk was enjoyable, when they arrived at the Metroline, a familiar face was there awaiting them. Sonic knew all too well where this would end up.

"Silver!" exclaimed the surprised teenager. "What're you doing here?" Silver walked slowly over to his soon-to-be rankee. "I'm here to watch your ceremony," he admitted. "What the hell did you think I was doing here? You're the only one who's ever beaten me. You have..." Silver's cheeks turned a little red, and he turned away to face the other direction in embarrassment. "You have my respect," he finally declared. Sonic was caught off guard at the words spoken by his new rival. "Damn..." he said, a little speechless. Silver swiftly turned around to face his rival. "Don't think this means I like you," he demanded. "You're just in my same rank. I don't like you. I never will. Got it?" Sonic saw the rushing anger flow through Silver's eyes, and he got a serious look on his face. "That's fine," he admitted. "Just try and stay outta my way, okay?" Silver gave Sonic a smurk, and he chuckled at the words of his future opponent. "Likewise," he declared. Within minutes, the Metroline returned to take on more passengers. The three friends-or rather, two friends and an enemy-got on the Metroline, and took their seats on their way to SciLab. Within a short time, the train had reached its destination, and Sonic and Mina walked hand in hand off of the Metroline and out of the station.

"This is it," declared an anxious Mina. "Are you ready, Sonic?" Sonic turned his head to face his girlfriend, and he tightened a fist and grinned. "I was BORN ready!" he exclaimed. "Let's get going!" His hand tightened its grip on Mina's, and he ran with her into SciLab, taking the elevator to the ceremony hall. This was the moment he would become an Official Netbattler, one of the chosen who will protect the world from crime and evil. The hall was filled with tons of people, all sitting in nice, comfortable chairs and waiting for the man of honor. As he approached the doors and pushed them open, the entirety of the guests turned to face Sonic and Mina, all of them clapping their hands and whistling in appreciation of their new Official. All Sonic could muster was a wide, cheerful grin. "Wow!" he said. "All these people...are here for me?" His feet were planted on a beautiful mahogany rug, which he slowly walked forward and over to the leader of the Officials, a woman named Blaze. She had light-purple hair, and it was tied back in a ponytail. As Sonic approached her, he kneeled down in respect to accept his place as an Official. Blaze slowly walked over to her new colleague, every step being one of absolute grace and elegance. "Sonic," she began, "I, as the director of the Officials, have witnessed your great performance in saving our world from that insane man, Robotnik. For that, I give you my thanks and respects...as do the people of this world."

Claps were heard from behind to honor Blaze's statement. "In honor of your great deeds," she continued, "I have found it necessary to request your assistance as an Official. You will be expected to stand for your world, and you must do whatever is necessary to protect the people that live in it. Can you accept this task?" Sonic slowly lifted his head and smiled. "Absolutely!" he declared. Blaze smiled and lifted her arm into the air. "Then," she finished, "As of today, I hereby announce Sonic as an Official Netbattler. Welcome, and good luck." Everyone that was sitting down was suddenly standing up, clapping like crazy and whistling in acceptance, including Mina. Sonic rose to his feet and turned to face the people he was now sworn to protect. "Thank you, everyone!" he exclaimed. As his words were spoken, he took Mina's hand and began walking down the rug with her, opening the doors and leaving the facility with a legion of people expecting nothing but great things from the newest Official Netbattler. 


	14. Chapter 14

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 14 Dinner and a Disaster

Two weeks had passed since our hero's great promotion to an Official Netbattler. Unlike all of the others of his rank, he didn't feel cocky or superior at all. It was actually something worth seeing. His mind was not focused on the convenience of being an Official. Rather, it was focused on the lives he was sworn to protect from harm's way. However, the recently-obtained level of stress that was placed on him had Sonic a little off guard. "Damn it..." he moaned. "I know it's an important job, but...Why do I have to do it?" His thoughts traced back to Silver and his rank as an Official. "How does he stay relaxed through all of this? It must be tough...I don't think I could ever do that." Suddenly, a ring came from his right pocket, where his Star Carrier had been conveniently placed. Reaching into his pocket, his hand grasped his SC and his peridot-shaded eyes were glued to the screen. He had received an E-Mail from his new girlfriend, Mina. "Huh?" he questioned. "She sent me an E-Mail...About what?" Slightly hesitant, he began to open the mail, the message finally popping up on-screen and displaying itself in a very high quality. "Oh!" he said, surprised. "It's got voice data attached. Let's see..." His fingers maneuvered themselves across the surface of his portable device, selecting an option to upload the voice data the mail had attached.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Mina's voice echoed from the SC's mainframe. "I don't know if you're still asleep or not, but I'm sending this E-Mail to you to congratulate you. I'm really happy for you, Sonic. Really, I mean that. Ash is way more...'showy' with his excitement! Anyways, I'll see you later, okay? -Mina." His cheeks turned a slight crimson color. "That's sweet..." he admitted, almost as a whisper. "She took the time to write me an E-Mail...I gotta do something for her. Hey...I know! I'll ask her if she wants to go out tonight!" He quickly began to compose his own message. "Hey Mina!" the letter began. "Do you wanna go out to dinner tonight? -Sonic." He sent the message with post-haste, and all he could do now was wait. He sat idle on his bed, his cheeks still a little warm on the blushing side. "She's so awesome..." he told himself, laying across his bed and staring at the ceiling with an almost blank look. "I'm...lucky to have her with me."

Meanwhile, at the Mina residence, the two siblings had been practicing their Netbattling skills together as a team. Numerous tough-looking, dangerous Viruses slowly surrounded them, preparing for an all-out assault. The siblings were back to back, both equipped with a LongSword chip on their right arm. "Mina!" Ash exclaimed. "Take out the Swordies! They pose the biggest threat!" Her head nodded, and she jumped high into the air, falling towards her enemies. With one mighty, energy-filled strike, the blade fell swiftly and sliced numerous Swordy viruses into four pieces, instantly deleting them all and ridding them of their existence. Ash had easily taken care of the other small horde of enemies, and their training session was finally over. Jacking out of Cyberworld, they returned to the living room to continue about their day. Mina turned to Ash with a smile. "I'm gonna grab a shower, okay?" she declared. Ash simply nodded at his sister, and he walked over to the large couch in the center of the room and began to watch TV, the new program Tails had given him for Christmas keeping the picture clear as crystal. Her legs moved her up the elevating stairs, and finally over to her room. She had been wearing a purple cloak to improve her maneuverability in battle, as well as loose, blue jeans to improve her speed and dexterity. Reaching into her closet, her hands grasped her usual clothes, consisting of her casual black tanktop and cacky pants. The headband she always wore was always sitting on her bed, unless she was wearing it, of course. She reached into a nearby drawer for a pair of panties. They were a light-pink color, and they almost shined when facing the light. She laid them out with the other clothes she had prepared for her return from the shower. "I so need this!" she admitted, walking into her bathroom to get ready.

Her arms reached over to a wooden cupboard, painted an almost mahogany color. Opening the doors, she reached in to grab a towel. Her hand lifted a white, straightened towel with cute little angel wing designs on it. She placed it securely on the bathroom sink, along with her usual grooming materials. Reaching over to the bathtub, her right hand turned the knob so that the water would turn on and swiftly get hot. Periodically, she placed her fingers into the rushing shower water to test its heat level. Finally, it was good enough to get clean in. Her arms reached the edges of her black tanktop, raising it over her head and off of her body, revealing a very showy black bra. Her hands grabbed the sides of her pants, slowly pulling them down over her knees and off of her body. She had been wearing a pair of white panties before today's shower, which shared a slight similarity to her pink ones she had prepared. Her fingers reached behind her back, latching onto the bra string and slowly loosing it, causing the bra to fall off of her chest and to reveal her breasts. Her hands gently grabbed her panties, and she slowly pulled them off from her waist, revealing her lower body. She was completely naked, and she was ready for her shower. Pushing back the curtain, she carefully tiptoed into the tub, standing up and allowing the water to just rush down her body. It felt relaxing to have the water on her, especially since it was hot.

Her shower lasted about fifteen minutes, only because she was allowing the water to drip onto her entire being so she could feel relaxed for the rest of her day. She carefully stepped out of the shower, her nude body dripping with small droplets of water. Stepping over to the sink, she grabbed her prepared towel and began to dry her hair, then proceeding accordingly to her chest and legs. As she finished, she stylishly wrapped the towel around her, covering all but her legs and part of the top of her torso. She walked out of the bathroom through the door, and she dropped her towel to the ground, ready to get dressed and head back downstairs. Slipping on her prepared clothes, she returned to the bathroom to further improve her appearance. As she was doing so, her Star Carrier began to beep. "Huh?" she said, looking down. "An E-Mail?" Picking up her SC, she noticed who the message was from. "Oh!" she cheered, her cheeks becoming a little blushed. "It's from Sonic! Wonder what he wants..." She began to open the message, and she read its contents. Suddenly, she gasped in delight. "He wants to go out for dinner tonight?" she said, almost as if though it was the greatest day of her life. "Of course I'm going!" She began to compose a message back to her boyfriend, and he immediately received it. They had set dinner plans for tonight, being at their favorite restaurant: Otherworld BBQ.

"What should I wear?" Mina asked herself, slightly indecisive. "Hmm...I don't know what he likes on a girl." She suddenly felt brainless as to her relationship with the blue-haired wonder. "Come to think of it..." she doubted. "I don't know a lot about him...I feel bad..." She felt a little guilty, but suddenly that switched from guilt to determination. "I'll make it work!" she vowed. "Tonight, I'll learn all about him through dinner!" With her head high, she walked downstairs to continue her day. It was not even near the time they had set for. At around seven thirty, she would be on her first real date with her new boyfriend at her favorite restaurant. Back at Sonic's place, his Star Carrier began to beep and flashed with the symbol for an E-Mail. He opened the message, and he read its contents with a smile across his face. "Sweet!" he grinned. "Otherworld BBQ, seven-thirty! I'll be there!" This gave our hero plenty of time to prepare for his hot date. Of course, the first thing he prepared was his wallet. This was obviously signing that he expected to pay for the meal. With enough zenny to purchase a meal, he felt relieved and certain. "Good," he said, relaxed. "I've got enough money. I'm sure glad I got on the Official team...their salaries are huge!"

Sonic wasn't the only one who had plans for tonight. Amy, our favorite (or not) pink-haired, self-appointing girlfriend, was finally going to get the courage to ask Sonic out, as well. She was preparing an E-Mail for such an occasion. As usual, however, she had no idea about his plans already. "I won't let her have him!" she groaned. "He's MY man!" She finally managed to compose a message, and the letter was sent. Little did she know, he was not going to get that letter in time. Regrettably, they would meet at the same time and the same place, hoping to start over as a couple. She refused to accept the fact that she wasn't with Sonic. It didn't seem natural to her. "After tonight," she began to declare, "That filthy whore will be looking for another boyfriend!" Meanwhile, the two other friends, Tails and Knuckles, were working on new programs and testing out new custom-made chips. Knuckles, as always, was doing the testing in Cyberworld, numerous beginner-level virsues surrounding him and waiting for their chance to make a move. "Knuckles," Tails' voice echoed through Cyberworld. "I'm sending you a new program...now!" Suddenly, a medium-sized blue square appeared right before Knuckles. His right hand reached for the program, and it burst into a wave of energy, spreading all through his body. He had accepted the program, and it was ready for use. "This is part of my new BusterPack program!" Tails was obviously sure of himself this time. "With this, all of your combat abilities will be increased!"

"Sounds useful!" agreed Knuckles from the Cyberworld. "But hey...you said part of it. Where are the other pieces?" Tails shook his head in dismay. "Well," he started, "The program is gonna be so powerful, it'll be impossible to compress into just one. I'll have to make about...four parts to this program. That should be more than enough." Knuckles suddenly inserted a SilverAxe battlechip, and to his surprise, his speed, strength, and his ability to charge energy were elevating at an alarming rate. "Whoa...!" he awed. "Tails, are you serious? THIS is gonna be split into four parts? That's...I don't even know a word to describe it...!" Tails chuckled slightly at his friend. "Well, then go back to school and learn the word 'magnificent,'" he played. Knuckles' cheeks turned a slight red in embarrassment. "Sh-Shut up!" he demanded. "I knew that word! I just-" Before he could finish his sentence, a Mettaur2 jumped right at him, ready to strike with its pickaxe. Knuckles immediately turned around to strike the enemy, instantly deleting it with a single blow. As its bits and pieces of data scattered from his axe's tip, his eyes widened at the amazing new power he had been given. "That's..." he whispered. "Incredible...!" The two friends were ready to practice all day if they had to...and to their dismay, that's what ended up happening. Six o' clock rounded the corner very quickly, and it was almost time for the couple to meet at Otherworld BBQ.

"Ohhh..." a distraught Mina worried. "I don't know what to say...I don't know what to do..." Ash was assisting her in tightening her dress, so that the lace on her back wouldn't fall off. "Well," he tried to comfort, "Don't worry about it. Sonic's a decent guy. Just...say and do what comes to mind." Mina rolled her eyes at her brother's statement. "Well, I know that," she played, "But...there's just so much about him I don't know. I feel...guilty." Ash managed to put on a thinking cap, and he began to ponder thoughts about what they did know. "Well, he's a hero," he declared, "One who has the eyes of the whole world on him. Anybody would be lucky to be with that." Mina's eyes shut tightly, and she felt disgust in her brother's words. "I'm not dating him because he's a hero!" she admitted. "I...I think he's a sweet guy...and there aren't a lot of those out there in the world...That's all!" Ash nodded in agreement. "Well," he began, "If you're happy dating him, I don't see a reason to stop you. After all, I'm your brother. Family support is what I do." She was a little relieved to hear those words from his mouth. "Ash..." she said, turning to face him. She gave him a sisterly hug, and she patted his back in appreciation. "Thank you," she said. Ash returned the hug with a smile. "Sure," he said. "That's my job, after all."

Sonic's house was quiet, almost too much so. More than eighty-percent of the house was dark, no lights emitting through it. The only room that wasn't pitch black was his and his closet, which was more than big enough to fit a small family in. He practically had to travel through the perilous boundaries of his closet to find some decent-looking clothes to wear. What he managed to fork out was a flashy black suit that would fit over his muscle shirt, kind of like his overshirt he always wears. He also found a stylish pair of black pants that would raise the appeal of his outfit by a large amount. It would look good on him, which he had hoped. "I gotta look my best," he declared. "For Mina..." Slipping on his clothes, he hurried out the door and towards the meeting place. He figured he would be the gentleman and show up early as to have everything ready when they went in together. Arriving at the restaurant, he slipped inside and began to speak to the waitress. He had asked for a nice booth in the back of the area, and that's exactly what he had gotten. However, he asked the waitress to postpone their orders until she arrived. He just wanted everything to be set before she got there. With a polite and shining thank you, Sonic waited outside for his date. "Here we go..." he said to himself softly.

But before his date could arrive, he was greeted abruptly by a small child clinging to his back, and one to his front. "What the hell!" he exclaimed, trying to release himself from the grasp of the two boys. However, before he attempted to break free, his eyes looked down to see that it was young Lan who was on his chest, giving him a very nice hug. "Hi, Mister Sonic!" he grinned, causing Sonic to show a light smile and kneel down so that they could get off of his body. "What's up, little guy?" he played. Hub came around from behind Sonic, and they both greeted their friend with a high-five. "What're you doing out here, Sonic?" Hub questioned. Sonic grinned and gave the two boys a laugh. "I'm waiting for someone," he confessed. "She should be here soon." The first word that came from Lan's mouth was one of disgust. "SHE!" he exclaimed. "Ewwwww! Sonic's got a date!" Sonic's cheeks turned a slight red, and his finger lightly scratched his forehead. "W-Well, yeah..." he stuttered. "But hey, that's a good thing, right?" Lan lifted a finger as if he was about to take Sonic back to school. "WRONG!" he scorned. "Girls are yucky, and they complain and talk too much! Why do you wanna go out with a girl, anyways!" Hub nodded in agreement with his brother. "Yeah!" he exclaimed. "Why can't you go out with Tails or Knuckles? Your buddies?"

"Because I'm not gay," played a rather annoyed Sonic. "By the way, what're YOU two doing here? Isn't it past your bedtimes yet?" Hub and Lan both stuck out their tongues playfully and made funny noises. "Nuh-uh!" they both said simultaneously. Hub took over the conversation. "Dad took us shopping for some new cool computer stuff! We're waiting for him in there!" The child gestured a finger at a large, grey-painted building that read 'Station Square Technology Department.' It was obviously the best place to go for machinery or even Star Carriers, except for SciLab, but they were the ones who made the products that go in that store. Well, most of them, anyway. "I see..." replied a slow Sonic. "Well, shouldn't you two be in THERE and not out HERE? Your dad's probably gonna flip if he finds out you ran off." The two boys suddenly put on a surprised look. They were going to be in big trouble if their father didn't know they were in the store. "Crap!" they exclaimed, surprised. They waved goodbye to their friend and turned to face the other direction, running off and into the store so they wouldn't get in trouble with their father. Sonic could only watch with a smile across his face. "Kids..." he said, almost as a whisper. "No place they gotta be."

But then, as time would work its magic, Mina showed up right after the boys had left. She was clothed in a sparkling red dress, and it almost looked like a mahogany color. She wore the very same earrings, as well, and her precious locket was wrapped gently around her neck, dangling down about halfway to the bottom of her neck. Seeing her date, she began to walk over to Sonic, a beautiful smile lit across her face. Sonic turned to face her direction, and he noticed her immediately. (Wow...) he thought. (She looks so beautiful in that dress...) He couldn't even find words to spill for her appearance. She was really that beautiful to him. Approaching her boyfriend, her face lit with a grin. "Hello, sir," she began to play. "I don't suppose you can direct me to a handsome young man with blue hair? You see, I'm waiting for him. He's my date tonight." Her cheeks turned a slight crimson due to her playful attitude. Sonic threw a grin right back at her and began to play along. "Well," he teased, "I don't know anyone like that, but if you're not too busy looking for him, maybe I can be your date instead?" His cheeks turned the same color as Mina's, and she giggled at the way he synched his lines into the little game they were playing. "Well, all right," she said. Sonic reached out an arm, and she placed hers within it, as if he was escorting her into the building.

But their happiness wouldn't last long. Amy was only steps away from entering the same building, and she assumed that Sonic had received the E-Mail. "This is gonna go smoothly!" she said, expecting her to go home with Sonic and not his girlfriend. She entered the building, searching for the couple. Suddenly, her eyes were glued onto them, and they were sitting down in the back, like Sonic had arranged. They were talking and laughing like they expected would happen. Amy grew furious and jealous, a very poor combination on a night like this. The couple had been talking about everything that has happened; their first meeting, the final battle, Christmas Eve...everything. "Wow..." Mina finally admitted. "I can't believe it's all happened already...It seems like only yesterday we just met." Her eyes were glued to her boyfriend, and he could do nothing but smile back and stare into her eyes. "Yeah..." he confessed softly. "I...I'm really lucky to have met you, Mina." Mina's cheeks turned red, and she giggled. "Me, too," she said, giving a compliment like Sonic's. "Umm...can I ask you something, Sonic?" Sonic suddenly switched on a confused look. "Umm...sure," he allowed. "What's on your mind?"

"Tell me about yourself," Mina finally spat out. She had been waiting to ask him the entire evening. "I...I don't feel like I know you enough, Sonic...and that's not good for us. So please...I wanna know about you." Sonic's face slowly grew serious, and his smile dimmed into a frown. "There's not really anything to know..." he tried to escape the subject. "I'm just...your average teenager." Mina's hand began to reach for Sonic's, which were on the table. She softly touched his hand, signaling that she wanted to know everything. "Please..." she asked. "I wanna know everything." Sonic's eyes widened, and within seconds, he gave her a reassured smile. "Well, okay," he said. "Where to start..." Mina felt it necessary to give him a place to start. "How about...your birthday?" she asked. "That way, I can remember." Sonic grinned and replied without hesitation. "March 23," he managed to admit. Mina giggled and tried to give him another thing to reply to. "Umm...your favorite color?" Sonic laughed a little and replied. "Red," he admitted. "Just plain red, though...none of that stupid garnet, scarlet, or whatever you call 'em...just red." Mina laughed at his scorn for other shades of his favorite color. "Okay, then..." she said. "How about...your favorite food?" Sonic grinned widely before he replied to her question. "That'd have to be spaghetti!" he declared. "Simple, fast, and absolutely delicious!" Mina laughed a little harder when she heard his words. "Next is...umm..." Sonic looked at Mina confused. "Huh?" he asked. "You having trouble finding the next thing to say? Well, uhh...just go ahead and ask me anything! Anything at all. Go right ahead!"

"What do you like to see girls in?" Mina suddenly blurted. An awkward silence filled the atmosphere. Sonic didn't really know how to reply to that question. Although he thought he did, he really didn't. "Umm...I...don't understand what you're asking me," he confessed. "Can you...be a little clearer?" Mina's cheeks turned a little bit lighter than they already were. "Umm...well...I mean..." she tried to explain. "I mean...what kind of clothes do you like to see girls in? Umm...that's what I meant." Sonic tried to tell her, and he eventually managed to after a small period of hesitation. "I like to see girls...in...umm...black," he replied. "Like, black dresses, black shirts, black pants...you know what I mean...I hope..." Mina nodded her head in approval. "Y-Yeah," she said. "I understand. Umm...so, anyways, what else?" Sonic shrugged his shoulders. "Hmm...not much left, is there?" Mina snapped her fingers as if she had just gotten a thought. "I know!" she exclaimed. "How many kids would you want? I mean...if you got the chance to have them?" Sonic's entire face flushed into a red color. "Whoa..." he said, trying to find an easy way to reply to his girlfriend's comment. "Well, damn, I've never really that about it that much...Hmm..." his face's red color slowly returned to normal as he began to ponder the thought of having children. "Well...maybe two," he finally said. "Yeah...two sounds good. I'm gonna stick with that."

"Two kids, huh?" said a seductive voice from behind Mina's seat. His eyes suddenly looked up, only to see what would soon become his worst nightmare. It was Amy, wrapped in her dress and ready for her big moment. "Well, I think I can help you with that." Mina suddenly rose from her seat with an angry face. "Now, listen you-" She suddenly stopped when she saw Amy. "A-Amy! What're you doing here?" Amy grew an annoyed tone with Mina. "Shut up, hussy!" she exclaimed. "I'm here because your little two-timer here asked me out tonight." Mina's face suddenly turned sad. She slowly turned to face Sonic with a broken expression. "Sonic...?" she asked, extremely hurt and confused. "Is this true...?" Sonic suddenly rose from his chair in anger. "Amy, what the hell're you talking about!" he exclaimed. "I NEVER asked you to come here! What the hell made you think that!" Amy suddenly felt really stupid. "Umm...didn't you get...my E-Mail?" she questioned. Sonic immediately retaliated. "No! I didn't! And even if I did, I didn't come here for you! I came here for Mina!" Mina slowly grew back her smile, but it was more of a half-baked one. She didn't really feel comfortable, but she wasn't mad or disappointed at Sonic anymore. She suddenly turned to face Amy, and this time, with a determined look of anger. "That does it!" she exclaimed. "I, for one, have had ENOUGH of you! Let's take this outside! Right now!"

"Fine, then!" Amy agreed in rage. "Let's have a Netbattle! Whoever wins gets to be with Sonic!" Sonic suddenly flipped out when he heard this declaration. "Whoa, wait!" he said. "I'm not gonna let you two fight for my-" Mina suddenly interrupted him. "Sonic," she said, as serious as she could get. "Just let me do this, okay?" She turned to face him with a smile across her face. "I'm not gonna lose you, and I'm not gonna lose this fight." Outside of the restaurant, a small crowd of people had gathered to witness this scene. Sonic didn't really know what to feel right now. Normally, a man would find it amusing that two women fought for his love. But he didn't even think that. He was more disgusted than unsure, mainly because it was Amy against Mina, his girlfriend. If she lost, Amy would be going out with Sonic and Mina would go home a single woman. They had already jacked into Cyberworld, and they had prepared themselves for battle. "You ready, bitch!" Amy shouted to Mina. Mina gave her a serious smile. "Whenever you are, cunt!" she shouted back. Amy was furious, and she charged for Mina with an OmegaArrow chip installed. Aiming right for her, she fired away, numerous arrows shooting her position and causing a massive explosion with them all combined. As the dust cleared, it was revealed that Mina remained unharmed, surrounded by a yellow-tinted bubble. "Wh-What the hell is this!" Amy exclaimed, confused and a little scared.

"This is my Aura chip!" replied an unharmed Mina. "Any damage below its capacity doesn't even scratch me!" Mina readied herself a battle weapon, and it ended up being an IvorySpinner battlechip. "Get ready!" she exclaimed, charging at Amy with full-force. Upon reaching her, Amy managed to block her first attack with a Barrier chip. However, the problem with that was that the IvorySpinner didn't just attack once, and Barrier could only block one attack, no matter how strong or weak. "What!" Amy was struck head-on with the IvorySpinner, the blade smacking her right in the face and sending her flying into the air. She managed to recover, loading another row of Arrows to make the Program Advance once more. "OMEGAARROW!" she shouted. She began to fire numerous arrows once more, hoping that they would manage to break through Mina's aura. Unfortunately for her, they didn't, and Mina had already prepared another chip for use. "BronzeSpinner!" she exclaimed. The Ivory weapon she had before was replaced with a slightly weaker bronze one, and it managed to strike Amy not just once, but twice, as it was programmed to do. This sent Amy plummeting back down into the ground, damaged from the attacks she had just received. She was obviously no match for Mina like this, but then again, she hadn't even thought of a battle strategy...except for healing. She managed to stand up, but with a smile on her face. She suddenly inserted three chips in a proper order, signaling another Program Advance. "BigHeart!" she exclaimed. Suddenly, a giant red heart came crashing down and landed right on Amy, but for some reason, it didn't damage her. Instead, it healed her! "What the hell!" exclaimed Mina.

"You have some nice tricks, bitch!" exclaimed an enraged Amy. "But despite that, I have this: the BigHeart Program Advance! Whenever I use this, absolutely all of my wounds recover, and I come back good as new! In short...I'm healed completely!"Sonic stood shocked watching the battle. "Then...there's no point in even trying to attack her!" he exclaimed. "If she's just gonna heal herself right after a few hits, then...she can't be defeated! Why the hell didn't she do this back when I was injured during the fight with Metal!" Mina stood hopeless, staring at Amy's now replenished body. "I...I can't win..." she whispered. "She's just gonna heal herself...right after I hit her..." Suddenly, a thought crossed her brain. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, looking down at her pockets. "The Spinner chips I have..." She reached into her pocket, pulling out a BronzeSpinner, IvorySpinner, and SilverSpinner chip. "Maybe..." She quickly placed the three chips in that order, and they suddenly began to flash. "Yes!" she exclaimed. She had discovered a new Program Advance! She suddenly jumped into the air to prepare an attack. "Eat this!" she shouted at her opponent. "O-Spinner!" With that, she rushed back down at her opponent from midair, striking her in midair and causing her to float in place. The attacks wouldn't stop; Mina's O-Spinner PA was hitting Amy over and over again, giving her no chance to heal herself inbetween. It would also deal more than enough damage to defeat her. Mina flipped off of Amy in midair, and she finished her massive attack with the final stage of the PA: a massive, glowing spinner charging straight at her enemy. It landed a direct blow, and it caused a large explosion. As the dust cleared, the fight was over. Amy couldn't even so much as twitch. She was devastated. Mina found it lucky that she managed to win, since the Program Advance wasn't even known until now. She had been the first one to discover such an amazing strategy. "It's over..." she finally declared.

"Mina!" exclaimed an extatic Sonic. She and Amy had already jacked out of Cyberworld. "That was incredible! That Program Advance...it was so powerful..." Mina giggled at her boyfriend's enthusiasm. "Well," she said, "I have to keep up with you, Sonic. I mean, that Program Advance you did when we fought Metal...that was just amazing! And it was so strong!" Sonic got a little embarrassed. "Nah, it wasn't all that great..." he said. "I'm not the only one who uses it, anyways. But man...you just blew Amy out of the park, huh? That was so cool!" Sonic lifted a hand for a high-five, but instead of giving him a high-five, Mina rushed into Sonic and gave him a very passionate hug. A little off-balance, Sonic slowly returned the hug. He was happy to have Mina by his side, and most certainly not Amy. Slowly breaking apart, Mina smiled at her boyfriend, and before she knew it, they were both leaning in for a romantic kiss, which they both happily took place in. They broke apart from each other's lips, and Sonic grinned. "Let's get back inside," he said, his eyes glued to his girlfriend's. The two walked back inside and enjoyed a very delicious dinner, involving a couple of cheeseburgers and fries, sodas and refills, and some sides to go with it. The night was almost over for them, and Sonic walked up to the front to pay for the meal. After giving out the payment, the couple walked out of the restaurant and back home. It was a bit past nine-thirty before they left, the other two hours they spent talking and just enjoying themselves. It wasn't a very long walk before they reached Mina's house. Sonic managed to make the evening enjoyable even after what happened.

"I had a wonderful time," said a very happy Mina. "Thank you, Sonic." Sonic grinned at his girlfriend. "No problem," he said. "I'm sorry about what happened, though..." Mina put a finger to his lips, and she shook her head, her eyes closed. "Don't worry about it," she said. "It's not your fault, Sonic...It's not." Sonic didn't really believe that. "But it's me she wants, and everywhere I go, I feel like she's watching me and-" Again, Mina placed a finger on his lips. "Shh..." she said, trying to signal a hint. "Just kiss me." Sonic's worry turned into happiness, and he leaned in for a kiss. Mina's hands were placed on his chest, and he had wrapped his arms around her waist. They were enjoying a very romantic finishing touch to their date. They broke apart, and Mina gently placed her hand on his cheek. She smiled with grace. "Good night," she giggled. She slowly turned to face the door, and she opened it and went inside her house. Sonic smiled with delight. "Yeah..." he said. "Good night." With that done, he turned to walk off of the front porch and back home, knowing that this was only the start of their relationship. 


	15. Chapter 15

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 15 Release of the Ancient Seal

The sky was filled with grey clouds, signaling an evil omen. Drops of rain had been falling from the sky for countless hours now. Thunder and lightning were a common sight, and it sometimes struck numerous places on the ground. The winds throughout the land were roaring, blowing across the trees and shaking the bushes and other bodies of vegetation. Deep within the Mystic Ruins, something truly horrifying was about to happen...something that could change the very fabric of reality as we know it. The evil scientist, Dr. Robotnik, had been flying on his machine through the forests surrounding the ancient temple in the ruins. He had started his search for the Chaos Emerald data in order to find a way to defeat his enemies, the Sonic gang. "Damn it all to hell!" he exclaimed. "This god-forsaken weather is NOT helping my cause! God damn it all!" Finally coming out of the forest, he reached the sight of the ancient ruins, gazing up at their magnificence despite their age. "Finally..." he said. "Some kind of landmass...not just fucking forest!" He swiftly approached the ruins, and he located a set of stairs, which he quickly began to ascend. Upon reaching the end of the stairs, he saw something oddly peculiar. There were two stands, one of a gold color and one of a silver color. There was also an ancient text engraved on the stones the stands were leaning on. "What's this?" Robotnik attempted to fiddle with the ancient structures, and it suddenly crossed his mind that he had located two statues of gold and silver through the forest. "I suppose...it's worth a try," he said, gazing at the statues with a puzzled look. Placing the statues on their corresponding stands, they suddenly began to float in midair, and part of the rock that served as a wall on the ruins suddenly began to lift itself, and it revealed a brilliant statue of a snake's head. It was almost realistic; it had scales and eyes as deadly as the snake. Suddenly, to Robotnik's surprise, the snake's mouth slowly began to open, revealing a hidden door.

"What is going on!" Robotnik exclaimed. His curiosity slowly got the better of him, and he managed to build the courage and enter through the door. On the other side was a place beyond his imagining. It was like the ruins of a forgotten city...and that's exactly what they were. There was still a small amount of water inside the ruins, water that had been around since ancient times. It was almost as if though Robotnik had stepped into a dream...a whole city right under the earth that he had walked on. How could such an amazing structure still be standing? It was obviously thousands of years old...Even the slightest touch could possibly send the entire place crumbling to the ground. Slowly, he began walking through the city, his boots being splashed by the water below him. Searching through the place, he suddenly discovered another door. Opening it, he suddenly felt something push up against him, and he ended up falling in. He landed painfully on his hide, and he stood up to gaze at his surroundings. It was a beautiful sanctuary, consumed in water. Various platforms were scattered throughout the entirety of the area, and there was even a large, obviously dangerous snake made of stone swimming through the water. The snake slowly approached the scientist, but instead of eating him, it offered Robotnik a ride on the back of its head. Slowly, he stepped onto the snake, which quickly sumberged into the water. Immediately regretting this decision, Robotnik attempted to swim back to the top, but the snake suddenly grabbed him and they both emerged back to the other side of the room. There was a beautiful door with ancient text spread all around it. He found it necessary to touch, and as soon as he did, the door slowly began to open, revealing a very long, streched tunnel. His feet slowly began to lead him into the tunnel, and upon reaching the end, he discovered a bright, shining light coming from what seemed to be the end...but it was far greater than just the end of a tunnel. What Robotnik stumbled across was something of absolute brilliance...something anyone would consider the most beautiful thing they had even seen...

It was an entirely new world, one of extreme elegance and beauty. Robotnik was standing on very fresh ground, which would lead him into the hall of a small temple, surrounded by gorgeous pottery and decorations used back in those times. He very carefully went on his way throughout the ruins, and eventually, he reached a beautiful lagoon. It was pure elegance that which his eyes were beholding. A large waterfall crashed the water down with a mighty roar, and numerous flowers were scattered all across the lagoon. There were statues of beautiful mermaids that were not wearing clothes. They each held a jar in their hands, and fresh water fell from the lids of their jars. It was like a small little paradise in a completely forgotten city. Robotnik continued his trip through such a glorious place, and he ended up returning to a temple once again. He came across another door, and when he opened it, the wind began to blow furiously. It ended up blowing him through it without a second thought, and he once again landed on hard ground. The room was pitch black, and sight was rendered useless. Suddenly, numerous torches began to light with fire, and Robotnik turned around to see what had happened, only to discover an enormous, gargantuan boulder was on its way after him. "Holy shit!" he shouted, turning around and running as fast as he could. The boulder was gaining speed, and it wasn't too far behind the madman now. He managed to reach the end of the horrible experience, but only because he was shot into the air off of a ledge and onto a distant platform. He ended up landing near another door, but this one was different from the others. It was glowing with a shining blue color. Placing his hand on the door, it slowly began to creep open, revealing what seemed to be a tomb. Torches were the only sign of light in the room, and as Robotnik entered the tomb, he discovered a young woman with beautiful, shining orange hair...and a hairstyle just like Knuckles! At first glimpse, he believed it WAS his red-haired enemy.

"How the hell did you get here!" Robotnik demanded. "Get out! NOW! Before I-" Before he finished his sentence, the woman turned around to face Robotnik. She was absolutely gorgeous in all departments. She wore a ceremonial dress, one that was symboled by her tribe. "How do you do?" she asked politely. "My name is Tikal." Robotnik slowly crept closer, and Tikal giggled when he saw how nervous he was. "You need not be so evasive, my friend," she played. "If you wish to speak to me, please do so." Robotnik began walking normally towards the girl, and he suddenly made a stop a few feet away from her. "Who...ARE you?" he questioned the girl. Once again, she giggled. "I believe I have already spoken my name," she returned. "However, if you require it once more, then my name is Tikal. It is a pleasure to meet you, my friend. What is your name?" Robotnik grinned at the chance to speak. "I am Doctor Ivo Robotnik!" he declared. "I am the greatest scientific genius in the world!" Tikal laughed at his over-reaction. "I see, I see..." she played. "Well, mister Ivo, what brings you to this wonderful place?" Robotnik once again took a look around. "Well..." he tried to say. "This place is ancient...How long has this all...even been here?" Tikal smiled at Robotnik. "Oh, for quite a long time, Ivo," she replied. "This brilliant kingdom was here long before I was even born. It is truly a magnificent place to be. And what's more, my father was the king when everything here was still reasonably new." Robotnik grew a serious look. "Exactly...how long have you been here?" he asked. What Tikal replied with both shocked and distured the mad scientist.

"I have remained in this world for more than 30,000 years," Tikal replied finally. "This world has been around longer than that, though...It's quite amazing." Robotnik could not help but feel shocked and frozen in fear. "30,000...Years!" he exclaimed. "Th-That's impossible...no human lives more than 120 years at most! How can you even say something like that!" She placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh?" she staggered. "I apologize. I did not explain. You see, my tribe was killed by a single man...my family and friends being some of those poor people. The man who attacked us all...was a god." Robotnik suddenly fell to the ground in shock. "A...g-god!" he exclaimed. Tikal managed to pick up after her sentence. "Chaos, the God of Destruction," she continued. "He and I were once great friends...well, to be more honest, we...we were in love. We were to be married shortly before that day...the day it all happened." Robotnik slowly rose to his feet and gave her a sinister grin. "So, then...what happened to Chaos?" he asked. Tikal went on. "His spirit rests here, in these engravings," she replied, moving out of the way so Robotnik could gaze upon the brilliance of the stone markings on the wall. They were drawings that Tikal's people had crafted long ago, hoping to not only seal the evil god away for eternity, but to warn the poor, unfortunate souls that entered this world not to undo the seal under any circumstances. For if the seal were to be broken, Chaos would be released from his inprisonment, and he would once again destroy the lives of countless people...and possibly the entire world.

"Chaos..." Robotnik could barely contain himself, for he so desired to break the seal that bound the god himself. "Tikal, was it? Why do you hesitate in breaking the seal? Chaos is begging you to release him...he wants to be with you again. Please...he's begging you...I'M begging you...release him." Tikal turned away from Robotnik, her face welling up with tears. "But I..." she couldn't bring herself to do it. This, however, would not stop the evil genius from getting what he wants. "Can't you hear it?" he asked. "Chaos is crying out in pain for you...he longs for the chance to hold you in his arms once more. By releasing that seal...you can give him that chance. He has waited 30,000 years for you...He doesn't want to wait any longer." Tikal's arms slowly began to lift themselves in midair, for she was preparing to undo the seal that kept Chaos bound and sane. She slowly began to chant the mystic verse to release the seal.

The servers are...the seven chaos Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart The controller is the one who shall unify the chaos Heed my words, and open your eyes to witness the sorrow The hatred that rages through the seals of eternal pain And release thine spawn of the eternal power Sever the chains of fate that bind this poor, captured soul I call upon thee...the lord of absolute power!  
Chaos! God of Destruction!

With the mystic verse complete, the drawings wall suddenly began to flash with bright colors, all of which signaled a color of a Chaos Emerald. This was not just some ordinary ruin with a god sealed away inside of it...this entire kingdom was part of the Hyper Advanced Prehistoric Civilization, the ancient civilization with an untold level of technology! They had far more superior machinery and such than we do even at this point in time. Tikal and Chaos both were really citizens caught in such a glorious civilization. Suddenly, the wall began to crumble, and as it finished, and the ashes of the wall crashed to the ground, the one who was sealed behind the wall was revealed. His body was blue, and liquified. It was as if though he was not even formed of a physical substance, thus making him almighty and almost impossible to kill. His eyes were of the peridot shade, but they were different than others; they were lifeless. They had no eyeballs or even an iris. It was just an empty reflection of his soul as the man he was. "You have been released...!" exclaimed Tikal. Robotnik could do nothing but grin as he witnessed such a terrifying event take place. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "I have what I need to destroy this worthless world!" The man's feet landed him safely onto the ground, and he did nothing but stand there until he had fully awakened. Suddenly, seven different colors began to emit from his body, each one sharing the same color as a Chaos Emerald. It would appear that this man had some connection to those ancient jewels...But what was certain is that he was alive. The ultimate evil that once threatened the very existence of humanity has once again retained a living form, and this can only mean trouble for the future of mankind. It was finally completed, and even though she regretted doing so, Tikal knew what she had done...

Chaos, the God of Destruction, has returned! 


	16. Chapter 16

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 16 The World's New Crisis

It was a late evening in Station Square, and the streets were almost polluted with various vehicles of different sizes and colors. The skies were shrouded in darkness, and there were tons of lights shooting around due to the large number of buildings and offices that were still open this time around. Our blue-haired wonder was on an evening stroll by himself, walking through the streets and towards the train station. "Man," he said with a smile, "I should reallly do this more often!" His peridot eyes located a lone tree, and his legs moved him over next to the tree. "Hmm..." he examined the tree, and he finally smiled at it. "I suppose a quick break wouldn't hurt," he played. He managed to land himself under a shaded spot under the tree's branches. His eyes slowly began to shut, and he was very close to drifting off to sleep. The Official Netbattlers hadn't given him an assignment yet, since Station Square was a pretty peaceful place after the events at the Black District. With MetalSonic dead and Robotnik nowhere to be found, the world seemed a lot safer and happier. Sonic played a major role in this, so the very least he deserves is a break. But just then, police sirens began to echo through the streets, and a police vehicle drove by Sonic and down to the police station. "What the hell...?" he said, almost as a whisper. "Hmm...I'm gonna check this out." His legs lifted him to his feet, and he proceeded downtown to the station at full speed. Along the way, rain began to pour down from the sky, even though the daily forecast told everyone that watched it there would be no raining today...Something was afoot, and it wasn't something good.

Upon reaching the police station, Sonic noticed the entire police department aligned together to attack a single person. The target was not of this world, and when Sonic rushed over to find out what was going on, he saw it for himself. "His eyes..." he said. "They're...the same color as mine..." His body was a liquid substance, making him unclassified as a physical being. He was silent, not even breathing. His eyes were lifeless, no eyeballs or other features of the human eye. Sonic suddenly jumped over the cop cars and over to where the man was. "Who the hell're you?" he questioned. The man did not answer. Sonic reached for his Star Carrier, and he pulled it out from his right pocket. He jacked into the Cyberworld, because he already had. That's why the cops couldn't do anything to stop him; he had been in the Cyberworld the entire time. "Okay, you big puddle!" he exclaimed. "Let's dance!" Suddenly, the man's arms shifted into large, liquified tentacles, and they began to attack Sonic, who was either blocking them or simply running from their range. Seeing that his attacks were futile, he called back the tentacles and shifted his right arm into a sword. He then charged directly at Sonic, but he wasn't as fast as his opponent. Sonic jumped over the man and quickly inserted a WideSword chip, striking him from behind and causing his body to split in half. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Didn't think he was that weak...!" Suddenly, the man's body instantly reformed itself, and he struck Sonic with the sword he had already prepared. Sonic was sent spiraling into the ground, damaging his body and giving the enemy the upper hand. The man then prepared another sword of the same variety to attack once again, and he charged right at Sonic. Sonic, however, immediately rose to his feet and prepared a counterattack. "LongSword!" he exclaimed, inserting the said chip and charging for his enemy. Meeting blades with him, they began to block each other's attacks, trying to strike one another and blocking their moves. Finally, Sonic's legs jumped him into the air and flipped over the man, and as he did, the LongSword he had prepared cut right through his body, from the top of his head down to his torso, once again cutting his body in half.

Sonic managed to land safely on his feet, and he quickly turned to face his enemy, who was almost done regenerating by the time he did. Within seconds, his body was completely formed together, and he readied another sword for one more assault. Sonic grinned at his enemy. "Damn!" he exclaimed. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?" The man charged straight at his opponent, his sword ready to slice right through him. But right before his blade struck him, Sonic managed to slide under his opponent, and as he did, he located a beating organ on his left leg. (What the hell is that!) he thought. (Is that...what's making him regenerate?) He flailed back to his feet, and his head was suddenly filled with ideas on how to strike the organ on his leg. If he could just hit it...then maybe his opponent would go down. Preparing for one final attempt, Sonic readied an ElectroSword chip, and his right arm shifted into a surging sword stored with an electric blade. "Let's give it a shot!" he exclaimed, preparing to once again slide under his enemy and slice the organ. As the man neared him, Sonic managed to perform his sliding maneuver once again, but this time, his electrical sword cut right through his body, violently striking the membrane and causing the man to instantly crumble into a blob of water. The fight was over...or so he thought.

The blob slowly crawled into a nearby sewer, escaping from Sonic and ending his chances of taking him out. "C'mon, you big drip!" he shouted at his opponent. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" Before he got the chance to grab his enemy, he slipped into the sewer, unreachable by human contact. He could do nothing but stare at the lid, knowing that his escape can only mean trouble. (What the hell WAS that guy...?) he thought. Little did he know, Robotnik was standing atop a nearby building, his clothes blowing violently in the wind the rain had created. A huge, sinister grin was spread across his face. "You're such an idiot," he declared. "You know nothing, you fool...It's Chaos! The God of Destruction!" As thunder roared angrily throughout the city, the evil scientist began to laugh maniacally, knowing that with the power of the god of destruction, the world he so hated would be nothing but a distant memory. The bad part is...with Chaos bending to his will, he had the power to make it happen! 


	17. Chapter 17

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 17 The Doubt of a Hero

The morning was bright, and otherwise shining. Things were surprisingly peaceful...despite what had happened yesterday. The night before had been a huge disgrace to Sonic's title, since his opponent had made a clean getaway from the hands of justice. All he could do was ponder the thoughts that revolved around his failed battle, ending with his opponent sinking into the sewers and therefore getting away. "I could've stopped him..." he whispered to himself. "He...What the hell WAS he...?" Seconds after he began to pout, his Star Carrier began to beep and shake uncontrollably. His right hand grabbed the portable machine and began to examine it. His eyes deciphered that he had an E-Mail from Blaze, the Director of the Official Netbattlers. "Director Blaze...?" he questioned. "What does she want with me?" Slipping on his shoes, his feet moved him out the door and on his way to SciLab.

Official Netbattler,  
Today marks the first meeting of the Official Netbattlers. Your presence is hereby requested as one of us to discuss an important matter. Crime is rising, and we require more than what we have in order to bring our enemies to justice.

-Director Blaze

It wasn't too long before Sonic managed to get to SciLab. He was already halfway to the office before too long, and when he finally reached it, his hands lightly pushed open the large, metallic doors out of the way and allowed him entry. The room was filled with comfortable chairs and a large, new blackboard. This is where the meetings of all the Official Netbattlers took place. As he proceeded forward, he was greeted with a rather unpleasant, "Have a seat." It came from Blaze, who was sitting on the very edge of the table. Sonic slowly found a nearby chair and firmly planted himself in it, awaiting the conversation to continue. A middle-aged man was standing in front of the blackboard, and he was apparently the instructor of the hour. "Now, then," he began, "If I may continue. It would appear that a new kind of...monster has appeared throughout the streets of Station Square. No one knows where it came from, only that it must be stopped. Recent witnesses state that they saw one of our own Netbattlers challenging the creature, and although his attacks were successful, the monster managed to escape. The monster has a body forged completely of water, giving it the power to phase through physical objects as long as there's a way in them. This can render the beast nearly invincible, and there may not be a way to stop it when it phases."

"There has to be some way!" Sonic suddenly interrupted, his hands slamming on the table and his body plunging out of the seat. "He's strong, I'll give him that...but everyone has a weakness! And I know his!" All eyes were immediately glued to the blue-haired, rage-filled teenager. "Well?" demanded Blaze, her eyes glaring directly at Sonic. "You said it has a weakness...what is it?" At first, Sonic hesitated to say anything. With the tension in the air, and with absolutely every eye on him, even those of Silver's, he felt on the spot...and he was. "W-Well," he tried, "When I fought the guy, his body would reform after every-" Before he could continue, Blaze interrupted him. "YOU were the one that fought that thing!" she exclaimed. "W-Well, then...you MUST have found a weak point." Sonic gave her a twisted smile. "Y-Yeah, I did," he continued. "While I was fighting it, I found a way to slide under him, and when I did, I saw some kind of pulsing...membrane on his left leg. When I finally got the chance to attack it, I took it, and when I hit it with an electric-type chip, his body immediately turned into a mushy puddle of water." Blaze placed her hand around her chin, and she began to ponder various thoughts. "Well..." she said. "It would appear that Sonic has found something none of us have yet." She suddenly rose from her chair, and she took one good look around at her fellow colleagues. "If you ever see that creature again," she began, "Attack its membrane. I don't care how. Just do it." With those words spoken, Blaze began to leave the room, and she gestured at Sonic to follow. He hesitated slightly, and his legs lifted him up and out the door with Blaze. The other Officials began to talk more about the new threat to humanity.

"Sonic," Blaze said suddenly, throwing our hero off balance. He turned to face her, preferably with a smile, even if it was a twisted one. "Y-Yes?" he attempted. Blaze gave him a smile back. "Your observation skills are...admirable," she complemented. "If none of us managed to find that out, then I wonder how you discovered it...Anyways, there's something I wanted to ask you." Sonic gulped, for he had a feeling that this wouldn't end well. "S-Sure!" he said, trying to be at least a little enthusiastic. Blaze placed a hand on his shoulder, which made him have a slight panic inside of himself. "There's no need to feel worried around me," she declared. "I'm your ally...and your friend. Please, relax." Sonic was a little surprised to hear those words come from the DIRECTOR's mouth, since he thought that all of the Officials were just like Silver; cold, ruthless, hungry for absolute power...what you would expect for an average enemy, even though he wasn't. "Th-Thanks," he managed to spit out of his mouth. "So, umm...what do you plan to do about that...thing?" Blaze's smile slowly turned into an uncertain frown. "I...don't know," she admitted. "If he can phase through anything physical, then that could make him unstoppable. I mean, sure, there are a few ways to defeat a phasing enemy...but it's still extremely difficult." This time, Sonic placed a hand on HER shoulder, and he threw her a grin. "No sweat!" he reassured. "He won't have his way with ME around! I'll find a way to stop him...I promise!" Blaze's cheeks suddenly found themselves turning a different color, and she was starting to feel a little differently towards Sonic. "A-All right..." she said, turning to face the other direction. "Thank you. Uhh...I'll...see you later, Sonic." She hurried on her way, running from Sonic, which could only lead him to wonder. "What was that about...?" he questioned. "And...she looked a little...embarrassed..." He shrugged his shoulders, and he continued his way home. Since he didn't have anything left to do in the meeting, that's where he was headed for.

It was around noon, meaning it was time to scarf down a lunch. His stomach growled angrily, and his arms wrapped around it to try and calm him down. "Owww..." he moaned. "Damn...I forgot I didn't eat last night OR this morning! I gotta start eating my meals..." His feet rushed him swiftly to Otherworld BBQ, his favorite restaurant. But when he got there, he had found that he may not be able to get in. The entire place was packed, but not for the food. His eyes were glued to a large board that read, "Act Now! Special Netbattle Tournament! Great prize for the champion!" Sonic's curiosity somehow made his hunger vanish into thin air. "A tournament, huh?" he grinned. "Hell yeah! Sign me up!" His legs dashed him into the building, and within seconds, everyone stared excited at the blue-haired hero. Suddenly, a huge legion of girls ran directly at Sonic, screaming his name over and over again hoping to get a piece of him. He immediately turned around and ran out the door. "Fuck this!" he exclaimed. "I'm outta here!" His legion of fangirls followed him shortly afterwards, and they continued to do so before Silver showed up. He suddenly placed his arms around Sonic, as if he was giving him a hug. The entire legion of girls started to cry, and they ran away and probably back home. Sonic immediately broke free of his rival.

"What the HELL is wrong with you!" Sonic shouted. Silver punched Sonic in the face, knocking him to the ground. "You know what they say, Sonic," he said. "Fangirls...they ruin everything. I was merely trying to do you a favor." Sonic blinked in confusion. "Oh..." he said, standing back on his feet. "Well, thanks, bud." Silver gave him a half-smile. "Sure," he said. "Just...stay outta trouble, okay? I don't wanna have to save your ass every time something like this happens." Sonic gave his rival a thumbs up. "Got it!" he cheered. "No more fangirls! I'll steer clear!" Silver nodded in approval of his rival's comment. "Well, I'll be on my way, then," he said, turning away to continue his walk. But before he got too far, Sonic caught up with him and grinned. "You goin' to the restaurant, too?" he questioned. Silver's eyes shut, and he laughed at his rival. "Wasn't it obvious?" he played. "There's a nice prize for winning...and I'm gonna be the one to get it." Sonic laughed at his rival, and he stepped a couple squares ahead of him. "No way!" he exclaimed. "That prize is mine!" He began to run back to the restaurant, which you'd think would be the last place he wanted to go. Oh, well...guess not. As he approached the restaurant, he waited a couple of seconds before Silver showed up, and when he did, he turned to face him and asked, "Hey, Silver...you got a nice, believeable wig on you?"

"Yeah, sure," Silver played, "Lemme just pull one outta my ass real quick. OF COURSE I DON'T HAVE ONE, YOU FUCKING MORON!" Sonic scratched the inside of his ears. "Okay, okay!" he groaned. "Jesus, I was just asking, you asshole!" The two of them walked into the restaurant, and they stood within the large crowd of people who immediately turned to face them. "Fresh meat!" they heard one of the men say. Everyone else, besides the two rivals, laughed. Sonic and Silver turned their heads to face one another. "Well?" Sonic asked. "Think you're ready?" Silver smiled at his rival. "I was BORN ready," he replied. The tournament would start soon, and the participants were all set up. The first match would be Sonic against a man named Bolak, who was a very buff, scary-looking man. As they approached the set-up arena, they jacked into Cyberworld with their Star Carriers and prepared for battle. "BEGIN!" the waitress called. However, everyone was shocked to see that within a matter of ten seconds, Sonic had easily knocked out his opponent without even using any chips or programs. This, obviously, sent everyone into a state of shock and surprise. Believe it or not, more than half of the participants dropped out immediately, knowing that they stood no chance against this teenage prodigy. Even Silver was shocked, since he knew that even HE couldn't do something like that. (Is he for real...?) he thought. (When I fight him...I'll have to be at my best.)

The tournament proceeded onward smoothly for the two rivals. They had easily won their fights, leaving only four participants left in the competition. There was a short man in a black robe, and there was another man with an evil, yet calm, expression on his face more than ninety percent of the time. The other ten was during battle, and that turned into a sadistic look of pleasure for defeating his opponents. Nobody died, but most were either knocked out cold or severely wounded. The very same man had hair almost exactly like Sonic's...only it was a tainted green. He wore a black biker's jacket, and nice-looking sunglasses were atop his head. He wore black jeans that went well with his biker's outfit. He pretty much looked like a top-class punk, but despite that, he was strong enough to get through the two-hundred-and-thirty fighters to make it here. The other man, who was in the hood, was silent during every fight. However, that doesn't mean his attacks were, too. He struck with ruthless force, nearly killing his opponents and almost instantly winning the fight. His cloak was black, as well, hiding his entire body and obviously making him a suspicious character. As the semifinals approached, the four competitors rose to acknowledge who remained. Those who were in the restaurant watching the fights began to clap whenever Sonic hit the field. "There he is!" most of them screamed. "The hero, Sonic!" Embarrassed, Sonic lifted a hand and slowly waved it back and forth, letting them know that even though he appreciated their enthusiasm, he wasn't really cut out for the whole "famous hero" business. Silver could only shake his head in shame as he witnessed such acts. (I'm sure glad I didn't have to fight Metal...) he thought. (Otherwise, everyone would call ME a hero...That's a scary thought.) The next match would be between Sonic and the green-haired resembler. Both opponents grinned at one another, and they shook hands before the fight. As they jacked into Cyberworld, they prepared for a great battle and took their places. "May the best man win!" the green-haired man exclaimed. Sonic could only grin at his opponent and come with the only reply that came to mind. "I intend to!"

"BEGIN!" The waitress' call echoed throughout Cyberworld to commence the fight. Within a couple seconds after she called for the fight to begin, Sonic's opponent swiftly prepared a powerful chip for use. "BlackClaw!" he exclaimed, an onyx, bloody claw consuming his hand and shaping on his arm. His feet dashed him towards Sonic, and surprisingly, he was just as fast as Sonic, making this fight a lot tougher than the ones he had before. Sonic, however, kept his cool and got prepared for impact. Right before his opponent struck him, he prepared a very handy chip to block it. "Counter!" he exclaimed, a magic barrier forming around him and blasting his opponent off of him, dealing damage and sending him into the air. He managed to quickly get back on his feet, but before he could turn back around to fight Sonic, said teenager was already two steps away from him, a LongSword prepared for striking. "Sorry, bud!" he grinned, striking his opponent and sending him spiraling into a wall on the battlefield. Surprisingly, the man easily regained his stature, and he was ready for one more assault, a sadistic grin spread across his face. "That all you got, pal?" he taunted. "C'mon! I wanna see more of the famous hero!" Sonic laughed at his opponent. "Well, okay, then!" he agreed. But before he made the next move, his opponent had already prepared four chips in a corresponding order...and he was about to use a very deadly Program Advance! As he completed the procedure, he jumped high into the air, and his hands began to glow with a sinister black light. "DARKNESS!" he shouted, the amount of energy he had prepared growing larger and larger by the second. After about five seconds, he released the energy, which was easily big enough to consume a small house. Sonic knew that if he was caught in the explosion, he may not be able to get back up from the attack. He swiftly reached into his pocket to prepare his own little Program Advance, grabbing the trusty trio of Cyber, Wide, and LongSword, placing the chips in that exact order. But before he could meet his opponent, the energy blast was only seconds away from landing directly on Sonic, and it managed to do just that. A massive explosion grew from the inhuman level of impact, and enormous dust clouds began to form due to its debris. The man could only stand on a nearby platform and laugh.

"Is that it?" the man played. "Damn...didn't know he was so WEAK! That was nothing!" But before he could turn around to jack out of Cyberworld, he was greeted rather abruptly by a smiling Sonic, who had an enormous energy sword attached as his right arm. Shooting his opponent a grin, he immediately slashed his opponent with his sword. "LIFESWORD!" he shouted, landing a direct blow on his opponent and nearly killing him. Parts and bits of his clothes were torn off, and his body was virtually useless now. Due to such an enormous amount of power, how could anyone hope to stand up after that? The man fell back down on his hide, even though he attempted numerous times to get back up on his feet. He suddenly found it necessary to laugh, and he rose a hand into the air to signal that he gave up. "You win!" he grinned. "That's it for me!" Sonic suddenly ran down to his injured opponent, and he offered a hand out to assist him. "Can you stand?" he asked, concerned. Grabbing his hand, his opponent replied with a reassuring answer. "Not here," he said, "But my real body can." Sonic grinned and laughed at his opponent. "Well, yeah, I know that!" he replied. "But hey, you were good! And that last attack there...that was awesome! The Darkness PA, right?" The man laughed at his opponent. "How'd you know?" he questioned. "You used it before?" Sonic shook his head with a playful smile. "No," he said, "But I DO remember hearing you shout it before you used it to attack me." The man gave Sonic a confused look. "But...you dodged my attack!" he said. Sonic, once again, shook his head, this time denying his opponent's comment. "Nuh-uh," he said. "See, I didn't have enough time to get out completely unharmed. I did, however, escape the full force of your PA. See, whenever you use that PA, it consists of two things: a layer of energy, and the actual force of the blast. I got hit by the wave of energy and managed to escape, then I came back from behind you and hit you with LifeSword." The man gave Sonic a punch of appreciation. "Not bad, rookie!" he grinned. "Maybe next time we fight, I won't go easy on you!"

"Likewise!" Sonic replied with a grin, and they both began to jack out of Cyberworld. Sonic had emerged victorious, and now, it was Silver's go. He was going to fight the hooded man in the last battle of the semifinals. Sonic stood on the sidelines saying, "You can trounce this guy!" in order to encourage his rival. Suddenly, the man he fought before came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "By the way...it's Sonic, right?" he asked. Sonic smiled widely at his opponent, and he nodded to approve his comment. "What about you?" he replied with a question. The man reached out a hand to shake, so the two could become friends. "Scourge," he replied. "I came to Station Square from Electopia." Sonic gave his new friend a confused look. "Elec...topia?" he questioned. "Oh! Isn't that the huge-ass city in the center of the world? That's where all the major branches of technology come from, right?" Scourge replied with a smile. "Yeah," he said. "I came here with my girlfriend Fiona. She wanted to see Station Square, so I told her I'd take her. We live a little north of the train station. Hey!" He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, and he grinned. "You should drop by sometime!" he continued. Sonic returned his act of kindness with a grin. "I'd like that!" he replied. "Just lemme know when!" As their conversation came to a close, they returned to watching the fight with Silver and the hooded man. Where progress was concerned, Silver had easily gained the upper hand against his opponent. The hooded man didn't seem to give in, however, and thus, the fight was dragged out...when it didn't really need to be. Still, he knew that once he pulled out his wildcard, he would almost be guaranteed victory. (I just have to wait for the right time...) he thought. However, within seconds, that perfect time was now. The hooded man began to charge a large amount of energy to release at his opponent. "Get ready!" he exclaimed. "This is where it ends!" With those words spoken, the hooded man continued his energy charge, giving Silver plenty of time to react. Even though he was unfamiliar with this tactic, Scourge immediately recognized the way the hooded man planned to do things.

"He's using that!" Scourge exclaimed. "But...that'll kill him!" Sonic immediately turned his head to face his friend. "What's he doing?" he asked. Scourge replied with a hint of concern. "That attack..." he replied. "He's going to use an insanely powerful PA! With the chips he inserted, I would assume he's gonna use the NebulaFlare! That Program Advance is one only the fabled Dark Lords use..." Yet again, Sonic's brain was lost in an unknown forest. "Dark Lords?" he replied, asking his friend for advice. Scourge suddenly grew a look of pain, rather than one of concern. "They're considered to be the lords of the Undernet...the most dangerous place in Cyberworld. Only an idiot would think about going there without a legion of friends or allies to help 'im out!" Scourge suddenly froze in terror. "Could this mean..." he attempted to say. "Is he...one of the Dark Lords!" The hooded man began to laugh with a sign of superiority. "I'm sorry to tell you this," he snickered, "But you won't be leaving this place alive!" Silver gave his opponent a smile, and he stared straight at the deadly attack that was soon going to crush him. "I was gonna say that to YOU," he retaliated. "'Cause the way I've planned it, you won't last ten seconds after I'm done with you." With those words spoken, his body swiflty began to glow a bright-red color, and it soon turned into one of orange. Within seconds, his very being was being surrounded by an aura of raging flames, and his right arm suddenly shaped into the form of a blade, only this was a very peculiar one. The handle was adorned with phoenix wings, and the blade of the sword was shining brightly with an elegant flame. The tip of the blade had beautiful phoenix feathers falling from it, and as they reached the ground, small balls of fire began to surround Silver. "Noble blade of the heavenly founder..." he began to chant. As he finished his words, he jumped high into the air, and right before he came back down, his body quickly began to be surrounded by an elegant aura, which very swiftly shaped into the body of the legendary phoenix. He came crashing down, his sword in front of him, striking the hooded man and causing a severe injury. As the man was sent flying into the air, Silver immediately rose his head up, and as he noticed his flailing opponent, he smiled, ready to finish the attack.

"RAZINGPHOENIX!" His body once again hid itself behind a mystic aura in the shape of the phoenix, and as he flew high into the air, he struck his opponent, causing his body to practically go up in flames and mortally wounding him. The hooded man slowly, yet surely, fell to the ground, out of energy and no will left to fight...or possibly even stand. The man was wounded so badly, he couldn't move. It was like every bone in his body was crushed within a single strike. "I..." he attempted to say, powerless and weak. "With...draw..." The crowd roared with excitement, cheering for more and more as they realized who the next fight would be with...Sonic versus Silver! Sonic suddenly dashed onto the stage, and he rose his hand for a high-five. Silver, though a little hesitant, gave his rival a smile and returned it. "That was awesome!" exclaimed Sonic. "Say, what was that, anyways?" Scourge suddenly found the need to explain. "That's a MysticArte," he lectured. "Sonic, everybody's got one. Don't you have a MysticArte?" Sonic slowly shook his head in denial. "No..." he said. I've never even heard of that...But man, RazingPhoenix...that must be pretty cool, huh?" He grinned at Silver, who somehow found his naivity entertaining. "Who knows?" he said. "Maybe one day, you'll find one that suits you. Now, then...you ready?" Sonic returned his rival's anxiety with a grin. "You bet! This'll be between you and me, right? Let's do this!"

The final match was about to take place, and the two rivals were anxiously awaiting the chance to fight. "Okay, everyone!" the waitress called through a rather powerful microphone. "This is it...the last battle of our tournament! To the right, Sonic! The famous hero who saved our world from destruction against the evil Metal form of himself!" A large amount of people began to cheer...including the entire legion of fangirls that previously left the restaurant. "Aaaaand to the left, the Official Netbattler Ace...Silver!" Although many people cheered, not as many cheered for him than for Sonic. Silver smiled when he noticed this fact. "Seems like someone's pretty damn popular," he played. Sonic's cheeks turned a slight red color. "Sh-Shut up!" he said. "It's not my fault I have an army of fangirls following me! Gimme a break..." Silver laughed at his rival's embarrassment. "Damn, Mina's gonna be pissed..." he said. Sonic immediately retaliated. "It's not even LIKE that!" he shouted, obviously not interested in any of the girls who were practically drooling over him. Before the fight even started, the waitress was heard saying, "Maam, I'll have to ask you to please...PLEASE keep your shirt on!" Sonic couldn't believe just how horrible this was. "People really like me..." he whispered. "A little TOO much..." The final fight of the tournament was about to take place, and while their previous displays of power were easily spetacular, neither opponent showed even a hint of fear for one another. They were ready to clash chips and fight to the last breath to win. This was the way of the Netbattler.

"BEGIN!" The two rivals immediately jacked into Cyberworld, and within seconds, they were slashing away at each other's necks, dodging one another and thinking of ways to parry and counter. Their fight may not have lasted very long, but the action and tension between the two opponents more than made up for it. In fact, the two rivals were going so fast, the people outside of Cyberworld could only see them as bolts of light dashing across the area. It was almost as if they weren't human, what with their enormous level of speed and stamina. Each clash was heard, however, when they met blades and bounced off one another to try again. As the fight progressed, each fighter relied on more powerful tactics so as to find a way to win. Sonic was just waiting for Silver to throw RazingPhoenix at him, and Silver was anxious to see LifeSword coming for him, as well. They both had such high expectations for one another...and soon, they would all be more than met. After about the 637th clash of blades, Silver was ready to end this fight. "I'm through playing with you, Sonic!" he shouted. He quickly inserted chips to ready a Program Advance, and within seconds, he had his own LifeSword ready to use. This, even though you would expect something like it, didn't surprise or scare Sonic in the least. It was almost as if though he was more than prepared for this attack...which he was. "Come on!" he shouted at his rival. "Bring it, spiky!" Silver immediately complied with his rival's request by dashing straight for Sonic, but before he even got halfway there, his body suddenly disappeared into thin air, throwing Sonic a little off balance. Just then, Silver appeared right behind Sonic in the air, and he was ready to end the fight by striking his opponent down with the mighty PA he had equipped. "Drop dead!" he shouted, which obviously notified Sonic of his enemy's location. Before his blade struck, Sonic had one chance to quickly counter...and he took it. He readied a program he had brought along, and as the sword struck him, a large, red-colored shield rose itself in front of the blue-haired hero. Silver was defenseless, since the sword required both hands to wield.

"Gotcha!" exclaimed Sonic, as he used the power of the program he installed. Silver was blown back with a force just as powerful as the LifeSword, if not a little stronger. As he managed to recover after the fall, he couldn't help but be enraged at his opponent's move. "What the hell did you do!" he demanded. Sonic grinned at his rival. "I used a handy little program a buddy of mine made for me!" he retaliated. "Reflect! Although it only works once, if I use it right before my opponent hits me, then it will not only negate the attack, but it'll hit you back with more force than you even dished out...almost double the strength of a LifeSword!" Silver was shocked to learn the truth. "Double the power!" he exclaimed, and suddenly, the joints on his body began to ache in pain, and he fell to his knees. His body was giving in, and he knew that if he had any hopes of winning the fight, he would have to use RazingPhoenix and hope it worked. "That's fine..." he said, slowly standing up despite the screaming pain in almost every one of his joints. "I'll finish this fight quickly...If I don't, I won't finish the fight at all...Here it comes, Sonic!" His body began to go through the same procedure it did when he was preparing the RazingPhoenix, and within seconds, he was already lowering himself to attack him. "Incinerate all!" he shouted. Sonic had to think fast before he was caught in the attack...but sadly, it was too late. Silver had struck Sonic with the full force of the RazingPhoenix, and he was sent flailing into the air. Silver did the second part of his attack, and that struck even harder than the first part. Sonic fell swiftly to the ground, his body numb and extremely weak. Bruises of all shapes and sizes were covering his body, and the crowd in the real world was suddenly struck with silence. The fangirls that obssessed over the blue-haired wonder were all crying in shock and despair. They were pretty much the only ones who WEREN'T quiet. Sonic was presumed dead by a few people, but their beliefs were crushed when their favorite teenager slowly rose back to his feet. "That was...good...Silver..." he barely managed to complement his opponent, who was back on his knees in pain. Silver knew that this was it. Despite his actions, this was the end of the fight. Sonic could at least stand; he couldn't. He was defenseless. The fight was practically over.

"But..." Sonic continued, beaten half to death. "I'm...gonna...win..." He slowly yet surely readied another chip to use, and it ended up being a very powerful, very famous one. "This is...where the fight...ends..." His right arm formed into a brilliant sword with a long, glowing blade. "I'm...using...this...to win!" His feet barely managed to dash him towards his opponent, and he somehow managed to jump into the air. His sword was ready for the final strike...and he managed to accomplish it. "FighterSword!" was the last word he spoke before striking his enemy, sending him flying into a wall and making him unable to continue the fight. The battle was finally over...Sonic had barely emerged victorious! The entire restaurant began to cheer like there was no tomorrow; not just for Sonic, but for both of the rivals who fought to their best ability to win. They jacked out of Cyberworld, and upon doing so, numerous people rushed up to them to congratulate them, patting them on the shoulders and giving them noogies. Laughs and giggles were heard all around them. They had really enjoyed the fight, and they were proud of whatever the outcome may be. Sonic was the champion, and so, he would receive the prize for winning the tournament. Walking over to the waitress, she greeted him politely and began the speech. "Congratulations, hero!" she exclaimed. "Emerging from the ranks of almost 400 people, you made your way through an almost endless mountain of battles to get to the top! You fought hard, long, and bravely! Well done!" As she completed her sentence, two very attractive waitresses came out from the back, both of them carrying a very well-made metal tray with a crystal cube on it. The two waitresses gave Sonic a teasing wink, and he managed to avoid their jabs. "As promised for winning the tournament," she continued, "You will be rewarded with the magnificent prize!" As her words were spoken, they lowered the metal tray and allowed Sonic to grab the crystal cube. When he did, his fingers pressed the lid backwards and picked up the data that was inside of it. "This is...!" he tried to finish his sentence, but he was too shocked to do so.

"You have been awarded one of the seven Chaos Emerald data!" the waitress exclaimed as to inject enthusiasm into the guests and competitors. The entire crowd cheered, all except Silver and Sonic. Sonic was almost certain that him being in possession of this data would obviously make him a target of Robotnik's...not to mention other criminals throughout the world. But then again, him being a hero probably had something to do with that in the first place. It wasn't a very happy moment for him at all. In fact, right at that moment, he wished that he could find a way to just get rid of the emeralds. They had brought him-and the ones closest to him-nothing but trouble. (Guess I'll hold onto this for now...) he thought, placing the data in his pocket for safe keeping. He then turned to face the entirety of the people that came to watch the tournament. "Thanks, everyone," he said with a smile. "Thanks for coming out tonight...and thanks for sticking around, too!" Everyone cheered and applauded the considerate hero, and as they did, Sonic began to leave the restaurant, causing the crowd to get even more excited. There goes the hero, Sonic, off to vanquish more evil and keep the world safe from harm. Yeah, right...Who was he kidding? He's not fit to be a famous hero...he's only a teenager. No one like him could make a difference to anything...Or, so he thought. Even though these were indeed what he had to think about, he couldn't help but feel that someday, he'll be able to accept his role as a hero. (Beating Metal doesn't mean the world is safe...) he thought. (How can I be a hero if there's so much more out there than what I can handle?) As he steeped deeper into thought, Scourge came outside with a wide grin across his face and punched Sonic in the shoulder. "That was some pretty badass Netbattling, amigo!" he played. "Not bad at all!"

"Thank you," said an unenthusiastic Sonic. Scourge immediately realized his friend wasn't very happy. "Hmm...Do I gotta ask?" Sonic turned his head to face his friend. "What...?" he replied with confusion. Scourge just looked right at Sonic and said words that made him feel like he was reading his mind. "You're scared, aren't you?" he declared. "That Chaos Emerald...without it, there was no way you could've killed Metal, right? But if it weren't for these stupid gems, that whole incident never would've happened in the first place. That's how you really feel. Now, since you're a hero, you're starting to have doubts and thinking that even though you saved humanity once...you might not be able to do it again. Sure, you're strong...strong as hell, really...but what if someone stronger than you comes along? How're you gonna stop them?" Sonic slowly grew angry at his words. "I HAVE to protect this world!" he burst. "It's my job as an Official Netbattler to do what I can to help those in need...So WHY am I acting like this! Why am I having doubts!" Scourge shook his head and laughed at Sonic's dishonesty towards himself. "Man, you really ARE a handful," he played. "Well, whatever. I'm not gonna stick around long enough for you to whine and pout. Do that on your own time." As Scourge began to leave, he suddenly stopped. "If you wanna find some answers to your little weakness, come talk to my girlfriend," he offered. "She's a wiz at that moody bullshit. Stop by my house whenever you wanna see her...but not me." Scourge pushed down his sunglasses so that they went over his eyes. "Until you're done crying about whatever you're crying about, I don't wanna even look at you," he scorned. "You're a hero, god damn it...start ACTING like one." He snickered at his rival. "Tell you what," he began. "If you're not cut out for the job, then I'll be more than happy to take you off your throne. Just lemme know when and where." He started to laugh, and he left with an idle wave of his hand. His legs began to move himself home, and within a minute or two, he was out of sight distance.

It would appear that Scourge had more of a rivalry relationship towards Sonic than Silver did. "Scourge..." He was practically speechless after listening to his little speech. He had never met anyone that acted like that. It almost made him feel like crawling under a rock and dying under it. It was almost as if though nothing could cheer him up...and so, he agreed with himself that tomorrow afternoon, he would be dropping by Scourge's house. It wasn't too far, probably a ten-minute walk at the most from Twinkle Park's entrance. Silver had long-since left after seeing the whole ending ceremony of the tournament that just took place. He felt that he had better things to do than gawk at how awesome this guy was or how cool those moves were...all of that stupid shit. He didn't have anything else to do, and so, Sonic felt it was time to head home, even though it wasn't that late. Actually, it was no later than three o' clock. Surprisingly, the tournament only took three hours...well, actually, not very surprising, since more than half of the competitors dropped out after watching Sonic's very first match. With all of that power, and with such a fabled level of skill, how could he be anywhere near indecisive about him being a hero? It was he who, along with the assistance of his friends, saved the world from an evil maniac who wanted to destroy the world and create his own world over its ashes. Was it all just a fluke? Was it because he used that awesome power to transform into Neon Sonic? Or was Metal not even really that tough? Those were the only things he could think about all day...for the rest of the day. He just sat up in his room, listening to music and watching TV while pondering those painful thoughts. He wasn't expecting anyone to come over, and he obviously wasn't going anywhere...he was slowly drifting off into depression. Nobody else even knew about it...except for Scourge, anyways. Scourge...what exactly was it that he was trying to do? Was he secretly trying to encourage Sonic? Or did he really not like his attitude and thought he could do a better job as a hero? And to think, all of this doubt and worry emerged from the sight of one thing, one small thing: the Chaos Emerald data he received as a reward for winning the tournament.

"This stupid jewel..." said an enraged Sonic. "If it wasn't for this fucking thing, then..." His eyes averted from the data in his hand. "I know...so much good has come from me killing Metal and saving the world...but...so many people died because Robotnik was after these things...If someone like him comes along again, then I..." His mind was uncertain. He couldn't decide whether or not he was worthy of the title "hero." A hero has to meet expectations...but did he even come close to any of them? It was already late at night-around ten-before Sonic managed to drift off to sleep. The next day, he would search for answers...the answers he cannot live without. 


	18. Chapter 18

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 18 Truth Beneath the Scars

It was the beginning of the afternoon. The doubt he had in his heart was, indeed, painful. He didn't even feel the need to wake up that morning. Sonic was slowly, yet surely, drifting down the path of depression. But why? He had so much in his life, the last thing you think he would feel was sad...Nice, dependable friends, a lovely home, and a beautiful girlfriend who was willing to do anything for him...just some of the things he had. So...what could make him feel so sad? It was the doubt he had as a hero and an Official. The Official position, fine, but being a hero? That takes so much to be. Did he even have the will to BE a hero? Sure, he saved the world, but what difference does that make? The world is still faced with crime and violence...Did he really do anything? If he did, then what? What good had he done for this world? It was time for him to suck it up and look for answers...and after eating a satisfying lunch, that's exactly what he did. Next stop, Scourge's place!

His walk didn't take but a bare ten minutes. The sun shined brilliantly through the afternoon sky, and so many people were out for a walk today. Whether for exercise or just because it was a beautiful day, everyone around him was happy to just be alive. All of these people...he had saved them all from an untimely death, and he guaranteed their futures would be safe...at least for now. He just couldn't see this side of it. He didn't consider the countless human lives he single-handedly saved from death and destruction. His mind just wouldn't let him. He had to clear his thoughts, one way or the other. And that's what managed to lead him to the front door of his new rival's home, a lovely young woman with short, red hair greeting him. She was dressed in pretty much the same thing Scourge was; black. Well, black pants, black shirt, and a black leather bike jacket. So yeah, black. "Who're you?" she asked as her eyes were planted on her unexpected guest. Sonic rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Umm...is this...where Scourge lives?" he finally managed to ask. The woman snapped her fingers and gave an "Ohhh!" expression on her face. "That's right!" she exclaimed. "Scourge said you'd come today...Sonic, right? Come on in!" She politely moved away so that he could come into the house. (How did he know I was gonna come today?) he thought. (Am I...THAT predictable?) The woman held out a hand for Sonic to shake. "Fiona!" she said with a giggle. "Nice to meet you!" Sonic hesitantly took her hand and shook it. "Y-Yeah," he said, "Nice to meet you, too. Umm...so, where's Scourge?" Fiona laughed at Sonic's curiosity. "Oh, he's out running an errand for me," she said. "He'll be back shortly. Until then, I agreed to help you out with your little problem."

"Little...?" Sonic felt an undying annoyance burning inside of him. "How can it be LITTLE! I...I don't even..." Fiona put her left hand in front of the raged teenager. "I understand," she said, trying to get him to calm down. "But if you don't relax, you're just gonna end up getting yourself in trouble. Trust me...both Scourge and I understand how you feel." Sonic shook his head in rage. "How the HELL could you understand!" he shouted. "I saved the world...but that doesn't change anything! Not a DAMN thing! How could you even BEGIN to understand what I'm-" Before Sonic could finish his sentence, a rock suddenly smacked him in the back of his head. "Oww!" he moaned, turning to see what had thrown the rock. It was revealed to be Scourge, who had one more rock at the ready for a good, hard throw. "Listen here, Sonic," he began, "You so much as raise your voice at MY girl, and I'll drop you dead so fast, people will start calling ME the fastest thing alive. Got it?" Sonic slowly sat down, and believe it or not, he was regaining control over his feelings. Fiona rose from her seat and rushed over to give Scourge her usual hug-and-kiss routine, which they did every time either he or she walked through that front door. Holding her by her waist, Scourge looked over at Sonic with a grin. "Now, then...you ready, rookie?" Sonic immediately stood up and turned to face his rival. "Ready for what?" he demanded. Both Scourge and Fiona laughed at his sign of confusion. "For a NetBattle!" he exclaimed. "If you're gonna have the time to mope around, then you obviously have the time to fight, right? Let's get started!" Sonic slowly nodded and gave him a smile. "Sure," he said. "Might as well." They both approached the backyard, and they jacked into the Cyberworld ready for a long, groundbreaking battle of self-discovery.

"Try not to hold back, okay?" played an enthusiastic Scourge. Sonic returned the jab with a battlechip insertion. "I'm NOT holding back!" he exclaimed, his right arm forming into a LongSword and charging straight for Scourge. But for some reason, all he could do was grin at his charging enemy. (Is this guy for real?) he thought. (Oh, damn...This'll be easy.) Within seconds, Sonic was about half a second from hitting Scourge with the battlechip, but right before he did, Scourge managed to block the weapon...with his bare hands! He didn't even use a program or battlechip! The impact from the sword was going to be so weak, he could easily hold it between his hands. "Is that all you've got?" played Scourge. Sonic was otherwise defenseless, since one hand was the sword and the other was flailed in midair, just like his body. "H-How did you...!" he exclaimed. Before he got an answer, Scourge simply broke the blade of the LongSword and threw Sonic up in the air, but no higher than kicking distance. When Sonic fell back down, his foot pierced right into his back, trouncing Sonic and crashing him into the ground. "Really, dude?" he laughed. "Is this all the mighty Sonic the hero has? If that's so, you might as well pack your bags and just give ME the spotlight from now on." Sonic slowly rose back up to his feet. "No..." he said. "I won't lose this fight...Better believe it!" Scourge grinned at his slightly determined opponent, even though he already knew who would emerge victorious from this fight. "Okay, bud, how about this?" he offered, reaching his arms out horizontally as long as they would stretch. "You get one free shot. Pure and simple. I'll stand still, I promise. Let's see what you got!" Taking this chance for granted, he readied the mighty LifeSword PA, and he charged right at his opponent, who seemed to be keeping well to his word. He didn't move, he didn't flinch...he didn't even blink. He was really going to let Sonic hit him with that giant sword. "Suck on this!" Sonic shouted, striking Scourge head-on with the mighty PA, sending his body flailing into a wall. Sonic assumed the fight was over, and with that, he stood there silent.

But before he could do anything else, he witnessed something unusual; Scourge's body disappeared into a puff of smoke. It was like he hit a mimic of Scourge...and he did. "Psst!" He heard a playful sound from somewhere, and when he looked up, the only thing he could see was Scourge's fists smacking Sonic on the head at full force, slamming his head into the ground and causing some serious damage. Scourge then proceeded with his onslaught, and his right hand grabbed Sonic by the shirt collar. "You think you're the only one with problems, huh?" he demanded. At that time, he began to pumble the living daylights out of Sonic, hitting him in just about every major point in his body, including the veins and the heart chamber. Sonic was obviously shouting in pain with just about every blow, and he couldn't help but realize that Scourge LET him win during the tournament; he was far stronger and more serious than he was at the tournament. Not only that, but he gave up at the end, making Sonic believe that he really didn't have that much to him...Well, this severe beating surely changed his mind. Fiona was simply watching from the real world, laughing and cheering Scourge on. "Damn, baby!" she played. "You're really giving it to him, huh? But I guess it's all for the best. He doesn't know what's going on, anyway. Just...keep going."

Sonic lay beaten nearly to death on the ground, and Scourge simplt stood there, watching his opponent barely breathing. It was lucky for Sonic to even BE breathing, much less alive. "You think I'm done with you, huh?" he said, shaking his head afterwards. Scourge jumped high into the air, and when he came back down, he smashed the ground with his fist, creating a large crater in the ground and sending them both into it. Fiona reacted with an "Oooo! and a "Daaaamn!" from the real world. As the dust cleared, Scourge was seen beating Sonic's face with his fists, his hands swerving different directions every punch. He was on top of Sonic, so he couldn't do anything to stop him. "Why are you here!" he kept exclaiming to Sonic to get a response. "C'mon, you worthless bastard! WHY ARE YOU HERE!" Sonic couldn't respond, due to the fact that Scourge's fists were in his face every half second or so. He felt helpless, and that's exactly what he was. Scourge laughed at how pathetic he looked. "Face it, hero!" he exclaimed. "You're NOTHING compared to me! I'm stronger, faster, and overall better than YOU! So move over! I'm stealing your spotlight!" His punches didn't stop, and he kept doing this for a good three or four minutes. "Why are you here! Why did you come here!" Sonic finally managed to, after hundreds of extremely painful punches to his face, shout the words he had been meaning to say ever since the first punch was thrown.

"I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM!" Scourge suddenly seized his punching, and he slowly got off of Sonic. He reached back down and picked Sonic up and over his shoulder. "That's what I wanted to hear," he admitted. He jacked them both out of Cyberworld. Even though he wasn't beaten to death, his body was in pain, and he didn't feel like he could move. So, Scourge and Fiona helped him to a chair in their living room, and he sat there for a much-needed rest. The couple returned to their room to discuss what had happened, hoping that they could somehow find an answer. Fiona was a little hesitant about what she saw happen in Cyberworld. "Did you really think the best way to do that was to beat the shit outta him?" she questioned. "I mean, don't get me wrong; it was cool watching you do it...but...he's just confused. He doesn't know what to do with the fame of being a hero...Everyone loves and adores him, and things'll be like that for only God knows how long. That's just how being a hero works..." Scourge laughed at his lover's words. "You are so sexy when you think of others!" he exclaimed. "But yeah...it was necessary. The guy doesn't know who he is anymore...So much has happened, and he doesn't feel like anyone's there to help him with what he needs help with. The Officials pretty much rushed him into his job...and his friends probably don't understand what he feels like. I can totally relate to that guy..." Fiona smiled at Scourge, and she walked over behind him and sat on the bed, getting up behind him and starting to massage his shoulders. Scourge obviously found comfort in the way she moved her hands over his tense muscles. "Jesus, baby..." he said in pleasure. "You are so damn GOOD when you do that!" Fiona giggled at her lover's words. "Well, anything it takes to make my baby happy!" she played.

It wasn't until around six that Sonic emerged from his little nap. He found himself awake in Scourge's living room, and he immediately felt guilty for not being at home. He could smell something really tasty cooking in the kitchen. Scourge walked into the living room from the back door. "Hey! Good to see you're still alive!" he exclaimed. Sonic grinned at his enemy. "Yeah, well," he harassed, "It's kinda hard to still be alive when SOMEONE I know beats the shit outta me and knocks me out!" Both Scourge and Sonic laughed at their little conversation, and he replied with something Sonic didn't expect to hear. "You wanna crash here for dinner?" he asked. "Fiona's makin' some juicy steaks!" He immediately nodded in appreciation of his rival's offer. "Sure!" he grinned. "I'd love to!" Within a matter of ten minutes, the meal was prepared, and it looked more than delicious; more like heavenly. Four pieces of large, tasty-looking steak were laid on a plate, some of the seasonings pouring onto the plate. Baked potatoes, green beans, and mashed potatoes were all part of the meal. Fiona noticed Sonic and giggled when she saw how he looked at the food she had prepared. "Look good enough for you?" she played. Sonic retaliated with a laugh. "More than good enough!" he admitted. "This looks absolutely delicious!" Fiona gave him a friendly hug and giggled. "Thank you so much!" she said, giving Sonic a reason to blush a little bit. Scourge had already gotten a plate, readied a drink, and headed straight into the living room to scarf down his food while watching the Party City channel, where they showed nothing but great places to go for the summer or whenever. It was like this household consisted of what you'd see in an average family; healthy love between the people in the house, good food, and whatever you could possibly need for entertainment. Sonic couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

After an extraordinary dinner, the three began to have the talk...the reason Sonic showed up in the first place. "So," Scourge began, "You're feel like you're being crushed with responsibility? That's normal. You ARE this world's hero, after all. It's only natural. Fiona and I...we understand how you feel." Fiona nodded slowly to agree with her lover. "About three years ago, we lived in a small city in Electopia," she carried on. "It was a quiet little place with very few people living in it...so it was pretty peaceful. But one day, a huge gang of bandits came and attacked our city. Thousands of people were killed...my parents being among them." Sonic froze in shock. He had no idea how hard these two really had it...living in a small city and having their loved ones die right before them...it was like a true terror come to life. "I...I'm so sorry, you guys..." he tried to comfort. Scourge shook his head with a frown. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Anyways, Fiona and I took action against the bandits. So, we found their hideout and pretty much destroyed it, and then...I found the leader and killed him with my own bare hands. Doing so made us heroes to that small city...to the people that still lived. We were honored just to be around...we were treated like royalty. But we knew that even though we killed the leader, our friends...our parents...and everyone that died that day wouldn't come back. They're gone...dead. That's the end of the story."

"But you..." continued Fiona. "You found the power to save the entire world from destruction! You saved not only the lives of those you knew and cared about...but every last human being on the planet! The whole world loves and supports you, Sonic...The people may find a way to move on, but they'll never forget the day you killed MetalSonic and saved humanity. Never. That's just something you don't forget. They may not all realize it, but it's because of YOU that this world is even still standing. YOU'RE the reason this world still exists in the first place! If anything, the people of this world owe you their lives! Walk around with your head held high, Sonic...YOU'RE this world's hero!" Sonic suddenly found himself getting happier, if just a little bit. He even grinned after he heard these words, and slowly, but at a progressing rate, his sadness and worry were both vanishing and being replaced with happiness and determination. "Yeah...you're right!" he exclaimed. "This whole feeling sorry for myself thing...it's not even like me! Thanks a lot, you guys! I really mean that. Thank you!" Scourge laughed at Sonic's sudden burst of happiness. "Not a problem!" he grinned. "Just helpin' you out, dude. Now, then...whaddya say we take you home? You still look a little worn out from earlier." Sonic shook his head to deny the offer. "Thanks, but I can make it myself," he said. He gave the couple a playful grin. "A hero's gotta do SOME of the work, right?" He then dashed out the door and headed home, newfound hope and determination stored within his heart. Scourge and Fiona could only watch and chuckle as they saw the energetic teenager dash towards his house, and they felt a certain amount of self-satisfaction. 


	19. Chapter 19

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 19 Mina's Hidden Talent

It was a late afternoon on a Saturday in Station Square, and Sonic, having found a new outlook on his role as a hero, was at Tails' house with him and Knuckles, training with his red-haired rival in Cyberworld and developing new ways to make him stronger. It had been almost a week ever since Sonic met Scourge and Fiona and got the pep talk-and beating-of a lifetime. (Gotta be strong!) That was one of the things Sonic had thought every day since then. He needed to find new ways to get stronger and stronger so that the world could truly count on him to save them again if the event ever occured. Having defeated his rival, Knuckles lay on the ground exhausted and bruised from the fight. "I give, I give!" he wheezed. "Damn, Sonic...you're getting TOO good for me!" He rose back to his feet and grinned at his rival. "I don't think anyone in the world could beat you!" he complemented. Sonic shook his head and grinned. "Nah," he said, "I'm sure there's at least SOMEONE out there stronger than me. Y'know what they always say: no matter what, there's always someone out there better than you!" Knuckles laughed at the lecture he had just gotten. "Damn, dude...Now you're using old sayings?" he played. "We've got problems, here." Sonic gave Knuckles a friendly noogie. "Shut up, Knucklehead!" he played. The two began to give each other noogies and lean on each other in a playing manner. Tails couldn't help but laugh from the real world, until he noticed his Star Carrier ringing. He had received a call from Mina, and without hesitation, he picked up the phone and pressed the talk icon on the screen. "Hello?" he answered. "Oh, Mina! How's it going? Sonic? No, he's in Cyberworld right now. That's probably why he didn't get your call. Hang on, I'll get him to jack out real quick." Tails forced Sonic to jack out of Cyberworld, and he told Sonic the news. "Hey, your girlfriend's on the phone. Pick it up and answer it!" Picking up Tails' Star Carrier, Sonic put the SC near his ear and replied, "Hello?"

"Hey, you!" said the voice of Mina from the other line. Sonic grinned when he heard her sweet voice. "Mina!" he exclaimed. "Hey, what's up?" Mina giggled. "Not a whole lot!" she replied. "Hey, listen, I was gonna ask you something. Are you busy tonight?" Sonic looked back to his friends; Tails turned around continuing his work, and Knuckles obviously fighting in Cyberworld. "Nope, not really," he replied. Mina's hopes remained together. "That's great!" she said. "So, hey, umm...do you wanna go to Club De Magoi with me tonight? Y'know, that new club that opened up near the casino?" Sonic scratched the top of his head to try and remember, and he finally did. "Oh yeah!" he replied. "That place! I remember seeing that before...Hmm...Yeah, sure! I'd love to go!" Mina felt extatic. "Really! Oh, Sonic, it's gonna be a BLAST! Thank you so much!" Sonic laughed like he was expected to in this situation. "Well, I'm just glad I can make you happy," he said. "I'll see you there at...hmm...How does seven sound?" Mina replied without hesitation. "Okay! Seven o' clock in front of the club! See you there!" Click! The call was dropped, and Sonic pressed the end icon on the screen of the Star Carrier. He turned towards Tails to ask him a question. "Hey, Tails," he began, "You wanna do me a favor?" Tails turned in his chair to face his friend. "Sure," he replied. "Name it." Sonic reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the seven Chaos Emerald data. "Hang onto this," he continued. "It's one of the seven emeralds. God only knows how long it'll be before Robotnik shows up again. Just...keep it safe, okay?" Tails nodded with a reliable smile. "Leave it to me!" he exclaimed. "I'll keep it under high guard!"

With that said and done, Sonic jacked back into Cyberworld and trained with Knuckles until around six-fifty at night. It was ten minutes to the club, so it was almost perfect timing. He didn't even have to dress up this time around; he could go as he was, and he was kind of expected to. It wasn't a fancy place; just a night club for teenagers who have nothing to do on the weekends. Upon his arrival to the said location, Mina greeted Sonic with a hug and a kiss, and the two of them walked hand-in-hand into the building. Loud, catchy music could be heard playing throughout the entire building, which was a pretty big one at that. For one thing, it was three stories. The first floor was all of the major stuff to do; pool, video games, drink bar, and even NetBattles. The second floor was the dance floor, and it was practically the size of the first and third floor combined! Countless people were already there, mainly on the dance floor. Mina pulled Sonic's hand, and the two of them rushed up the stairs and into the dance room. This is where the loud music was coming from...obviously. There was also a large stand where any volunteers could go up and start singing to a song that was playing or to request their own song to sing. "This place is awesome!" exclaimed an extatic Mina. "C'mon, let's dance!" She grabbed Sonic's hand once again, and the two of them began dancing the night away. Occasionally, Sonic would offer his girlfriend a drink, and he would walk downstairs, order the drinks, and bring them back upstairs so she didn't have to go anywhere or do anything. He was acting like a very respectable gentleman, something Mina found very attractive. (He's always so nice to me...) she thought. (I'm always taking us places that I wanna go...but I never really let HIM pick the places for our dates. Next time, I will...I'll like the place even if I really don't.)

"Here you go, m'lady!" a voice suddenly spoke, setting down a cold, refreshing glass of Sprite. It was Sonic, and he was back with the drinks. "Just as you ordered," he grinned. "Enjoy!" Mina giggled at his playful attitude. "Thanks, Sonic," she said. The blue-haired gentleman sat down to enjoy his drink of , which was his second favorite drink. (They didn't have Sunkist, so just bear with me.) "Sonic?" Mina suddenly asked. "Do you mind...if I ask you a question?" Sonic suddenly looked down from his drinking position; his head was lifted to drink his soda. He removed the glass from his mouth and gave her a smile. "Sure, what's up?" he replied. Mina placed her glass on the table, and she somewhat hesitated to ask him the question. "Do you...want to be here? I mean, in this place...? Be honest with me, okay?" Sonic gave Mina a confused look at first, but then he grinned at her. "Of course I wanna be here!" he exclaimed. "This place is awesome! And hey, it makes it a lot better when you're here with me!" Mina's cheeks turned a little red. "Thanks," she replied with a smile. "Umm...so, you don't mind that...I'VE been the one to pick our last dates?" Sonic slowly shook his head to disagree. "Not at all," he said. "If anything, I should thank you for doing that. You pick some really cool places to go! Besides..." Mina's eyes gazed into his. "Besides...what?" she asked. Sonic moved his head in over the table, closer to Mina's. "I'm happy just being with you." Mina suddenly felt overwhelmed, and she swiftly moved in to kiss him in his position. They sat in that weird position, kissing for roughly a minute. Finally breaking apart, Sonic's eyes were glued to the stage. "Hey, I have an idea!" he exclaimed. "Check this out!" His feet dashed him over to the stage, and he requested a song to be played. He was ready to sing to the song "The Flame in All of Us." As it began playing, he was getting ready to sing to it.

This world has taken me by storm It makes me feel like running This place is making me transform Until I feel like nothing It's the strength in you and me That surrounds everything The way you look out for me The way you move It's the flame In all of us the same It makes us feel this flame In all of us the same It makes us feel this

The entirety of the people who were on the dance floor were thumping and dancing like crazy at how good Sonic's choice of music was. Mina was more amazed by how well he sung along to the lyrics; his voice sounded just like that of the actual band. He was really good. TOO good, even!

We are the youth of yesterday We brought you pain and sorrow That's what they say, but don't take pain away We are the new tomorrow It's the strength in you and me That surrounds everything The way you look out for me The way you move It's the flame In all of us the same It makes us feel this flame In all of us the same It makes us It's the flame In all of us the same It makes us feel this

Flame in all of us makes the change In all of us to take The flame in all of us It stil keeps alive

The music was absolutely beautiful, and Mina couldn't help but feel like the luckiest girl in the world. She had chosen the perfect man, in her eyes. Great guy, great singer, and even a great choice of music...what DIDN'T she like about him? As the song ended, everyone clapped and whistled in amazement. They then realized that it was the famous Sonic who was singing such an amazing song. Sonic suddenly jumped off the stadium, and he dashed over to Mina, grabbing her hand and taking her on to to the stage. The DJ began to speak to the guests. "All right, everyone," he began. "It's time for request hour! Looks like we got a beautiful young lady singing...singing..." He began to look at his records. Sonic suddenly ran up to him and chose a CD for him. "How 'bout...this one!" he said, picking out a very well-known song. The song that would be playing was going to be Simple and Clean, sung by the japanese artist Utada Hikaru...and Mina was the one about to sing it. Mina started to freak out. "S-Sonic!" she exclaimed to him. "I...I can't...I can't sing!" She suddenly ran off stage, her eyes swelling up with tears. The crowd suddenly felt confused, and they began to cheer for her to come back out. The crowd wanted to hear her sing, but she wouldn't. She gets an easy case of stage fright. "I can't do it, Sonic...I just can't..." Sonic picked her head up with his finger, so her eyes would gaze directly into his. "Yes, you can," he encouraged. "You can do it, Mina. I have faith in you. Just do your best!" Her eyes drying up, she slowly nodded her head and began to walk out onto the stage, the entire crowd cheering and whistling for her to proceed. As the music starts, she began to sing like the angels...

When you walk away You don't hear me say Please, oh baby Don't go Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight It's hard to let it go

You're giving me Too many things Lately, you're all I need You smiled at me and said Don't get me wrong I love you But does that mean I have to meet your father?  
When we are older you will understand what I meant When I said no I don't think life is quite that simple

The crowd was bumping and thumping to the music, and Mina's voice was as gorgeous as Sonic imagined it would be. (She can sing like a goddess!) he thought.

The daily things (like this and other ones)  
That keep us all busy Are confusing me That's when you came to me and said Wish I could prove I love you But does that mean I have to walk on water?  
When we are older you will understand it's enough When I say so And maybe some things are that simple

Roaring applause and whistles were heard nonstop through the entire performance. She was really good...almost like a true angel had come down to earth for one amazing performance.

Hold me Whatever lies beyond this morning Is a little later on Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all Nothing's like before

Alas, the song came to an end. As it did, the entire room was so loud and full of applause, you could hear if halfway across the world. Mina stood there smiling widely, accepting the cheers and applause she was getting from all of those that loved her singing. She was even better than the original artist; she could easily take Utada's place as the lead singer for that band. As she walked off the stage and back to where Sonic was, he suddenly grabbed her and spun her around in his arms, making her laugh and feel like a princess. "Mina, that was fantastic!" he exclaimed. "I've never heard anyone so good at singing!" Setting her down, her cheeks turned even more of a blush color. "Thanks," she said. "I used to sing a lot back where I was born. People really liked my voice. And...so did I." Sonic grinned at his girlfriend. "I can see why!" he laughed. "That was so good, you could make a living doing that!" Mina giggled when she heard his suggestion. "Maybe so!" she played. "Anyways, you wanna head on home now?" Sonic nodded. "Sure, whenever you're ready," he replied. The two walked hand-in-hand out from the backstage area and on their way home, but before they got near their stop, Sonic remembered something important. "Mina," he began to ask, "You wanna come with me to this really cool place?" Mina looked confused for a minute, but then she realized that he meant no harm. "Of course," she said. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see!" Sonic replied with a grin. Taking her hand, the two of them began to dash to the northwest, where Sonic would show Mina something he's never shown anyone before...not even his other friends, who he's known for years. It was going to be a real treat for the both of them...since Sonic hadn't been to that place ever since he first started living in Station Square. 


	20. Chapter 20

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 20 I Love You

WARNING:This chapter contains a very detailed and drawn-out helping of lemon. If you are otherwise offended by that kind of writing or just don't want to read on, proceed to the next chapter or leave altogether. Also, if you haven't read my previous chapters, I'll tell you now: The characters you read in this story, excluding the ones I state myself, ARE HUMAN! HUMAN! NOT ANIMORPH or whatever the hell you call them...Anyway, just wanted to state that before you went on. God, you have no idea how many people have asked me that...

A cool breeze blew through the closed-off forest on a very small, otherwise unvisited, patch of land. It was a beautiful place, filled with plenty of vegetation and even some peculiar animals. Sonic and Mina had to cut through this said forest to get to the spot where Sonic was going to show his girlfriend. Eventually, they came across a small opening beneath a large pile of dropped trees. "Sonic," Mina suddenly asked, "Where is it you're taking me?" Sonic turned to Mina and grinned. "Just a little further, okay?" he said. "It's just beyond here." As they continued walking, they stopped at a part of the forest surrounded by numerous bushes and branches. Pushing them aside for him and Mina, Sonic moved carefully towards the bushes, and surprisingly, he pushed them aside to uncover a majestic door with what seemed to be ancient text all over it. He placed his hands on the door, and before he pushed it open, he turned to face Mina once more, this time with a serious look. "This is a secret place, Mina," he said, as serious as he could possibly be. "Before we go on...promise me you won't tell anyone about this place, okay?" Mina gave her boyfriend a confused look. She slowly nodded, for she thought she could trust him. "O-Okay," she finally said, "I won't tell anyone. I promise." Sonic smiled at her, and he turned to face the door, pushing it open to reveal something that was easily classified as unbelievable.

"Whoa...!" Mina felt a new sense of surprise and magnificence building up inside of her. "This place is...beautiful!" The doors closed slowly behind them, and Mina swiftly turned to face them. "Sonic!" she exclaimed. "They're closed!" Sonic grinned at Mina. "It's no biggy, Mina," he said. "They'll open easily. Watch!" Sonic simply walked up to the door and barely pushed it, revealing that it was open and unlocked the whole time. "These doors can't lock," he explained. "That's why it's safe here. So, just relax, okay?" Mina felt a little awkward for flipping out like she did. "You're right, I'm sorry," she said. "I just...I thought you were gonna...do something to me." Sonic gave her a puzzled look. "Do something?" he asked. "Like what?" Mina shook her head with a reassured smile. "N-Nothing," she said. "Forget I said anything. So hey, umm...this place...What exactly is it?" Sonic took a few steps forward to meet his girlfriend. "I guess you could call it a lagoon," he said. "I don't really know...I found it way back when I was nine. I got so mad at Knuckles one day, I decided to run away. And when I did, I found this forest, and as I scurried through it trying to find my way back home, I bumped into this door. It started glowing, and it opened right before me. When it did, I walked inside to find this place. It's so beautiful...I could easily live here. Look over there." Sonic gestured a finger to the right, revealing a nice little wood cabin sitting by the water of the lagoon. "I made that place all by myself," he continued. "I had to buy so much wood, it wasn't even funny! But I managed to do it. I even painted it, too."

"It's so...amazing!" Mina replied to her boyfriend. "I can't believe such a beautiful place like this even exists...I mean, yeah, there are plenty of gorgeous sceneries out there...but none like this!" Sonic suddenly got a serious look, and Mina noticed it right away. "Hey, what's wrong?" Sonic looked her dead in the eyes. "Mina..." he said. "I trust you, okay? I trust you enough...to let you in here. I'm the only one in Station Square that even knew this was here. And now...you know. So please...don't betray my trust. Don't betray...me." Mina slowly walked over to Sonic, and she placed a hand on his cheek and gave him a very passionate, romantic kiss. Breaking apart, she massaged his cheek with her finger. "I promised you," she said. "I will never betray your trust...I swear it." Sonic smiled when he heard her reassuring words. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go sit by the water!" Mina followed Sonic to the large body of water, surrounded by a few large boulders easily big enough to sit on, and a waterfall that crashed down pure water that gave the entire place a pure, fresh essence. The happy couple were sitting-or rather, laying-on the center boulder, the one right next to a ledge that could be jumped off of to swim. They sat there, laying next to one another, just staring at the rushing waterfall and admiring the sight they were beholding. "Sonic..." said a breathtaken Mina. "This place is so gorgeous!" Sonic grinned in approval. "I'm glad you like it!" he said, being a completely honest man. Mina could feel her heart beat getting a little faster. She was feeling something she's never really felt before. Was it love? Maybe...It was definitely a feeling she felt for Sonic. There was no doubt about that. The more she thought of him, the stronger the feeling got. Blood was rushing through her body faster than ever before, her heart beating faster and faster. (He's...) Even her thoughts couldn't be completed, not without them turning to her boyfriend, laying right next to her. How she longed to hear him say the three words any woman would want to hear from her boyfriend.

"Mina?" asked a concerned Sonic. "Hey, what's wrong? Your cheeks are really red..." Mina slowly flipped over so that she was laying practically on top of Sonic. "Sonic?" she said, her voice slightly dimmed. "I...I..." Sonic placed a finger before her mouth, and he smiled at her. "Let me say it first," he replied. Her heart began beating faster. (Oh my god...!) she thought. (Is he...really gonna say it to me! Please, god...say he will!) Sonic gently placed his hand on Mina's cheek, and with that gesture of affection, she could feel her heart thumping even harder. It wasn't painful, but she was so anxious to hear him out. "Mina..." he began to say. "There's something I need to tell you..." Not to her surprise, Mina's eyes began to show signs of water, and tears began dripping down from her face. "Y-Yes?" she said, a little bit of crying thrown into the mix. Sonic stuttered so hard with trying to say what was on his mind. "We haven't known each other for a long time..." he began. "But I don't care...I feel like I've known you...my whole life!" She could barely contain herself. This was the moment she was waiting for, and what better scenery could there possibly be to tell her? The moment was perfect, and the area they were in was absolutely gorgeous and so relaxing. Sonic tried to continue. "I showed you this place because...I trust you enough to tell you this," he continued. "Mina...I'm begging you to not reject me. Please don't...But...I'll tell you, anyways." She was about to explode with emotions, all of them being for the man she was with. (He's gonna say it!) she thought. (Please, god...Please let him say it!) He began to stroke her hair with his fingers, and he gazed deeply into her eyes to tell her what he really wanted to say...something he's been waiting to say for so long. It was finally time for him to be a man and confess...

"I love you." The three most powerful words of all...said in a single sentence and a confession of his emotions. She felt like crying...and she did. Tears softly fell from her peridot-colored eyes, and onto Sonic's chest. "Oh, Sonic...!" She could barely contain the whirlpool of affection she was feeling right now. "I love you, too!" She immediately returned his feelings with a passionate, romantic kiss, one you would expect to see in the movies when the hero and the female hero share that one kiss that makes up for everything they've been through. This one moment...everything in it was perfect. This time, their tongues swerved back and forth throughout each other's mouths. It was their first ever french kiss, and it was one that lasted long enough to knock them out due to lack of oxygen. They managed to break apart from one another, but they returned to their kissing a matter of seconds later. After a while of pure tongue kissing, she felt it was the time...the time to lose her virginity to the man she loved. While once again kissing him and giving tongue, she began to reach down Sonic's leg, massaging it up and down before finally reaching the place she wanted to go. She barely managed to stop kissing him long enough to tell him her feelings. "Please, Sonic!" she cried. "I want you so bad! Please...let my first be with you! I don't want anyone else in this world!" Sonic was a little surprised to hear her words, but all told, he nodded with a gentle smile and continued to tongue kiss her, while she made her way through his belt buckle and released it. She was so close...so close to giving what she had to the only man in the world she would even consider giving it to. As she undid his belt, she temporarily refrained from kissing him and removed the part of his pants that covered his crotch. Slowly and gently, she removed enough of his underwear to reveal his cash and prizes. "Sonic...!" she said, a little scared and even more surprised. "I had no idea...you were so...big!"

"P-Please, Mina..." said an embarrassed Sonic. "D-Don't say things like that...!" Mina giggled when she realized he was embarrassed. "It's okay," she said. "I'll be gentle." Softly pushing back her hair, she began to massage his manhood with her tongue, and eventually, reaching the point where she was giving him head. Slowly and pleasureably, her head moved up and down and repeated the process, while Sonic had gently placed his hand securely on her head, signaling he didn't want her to stop. After roughly a minute and a half, she stopped her actions and began to once again kiss her lover. As she did, she allowed Sonic the pleasure of proceeding through his way. His hands placed themselves gently on the ends of her black tanktop, and slowly, he slid it off of her torso, revealing a very showy black bra. Mina giggled when he reached this point. "Be nice!" she teased. Sonic laughed at his girlfriend's playful attitude. "Well, all right, then." Seductively, he began to slowly remove the buttons on her back, therefore launching the bra off of her chest and onto his chest, revealing a very beautiful pair of breasts. Mina suddenly felt embarrassed when he found it necessary to stare at them. She quickly placed her hands over her breasts and turned her head away. "They're too small for you, aren't they?" she asked, regretful of her decision. Sonic turned Mina's head to face him, and he gave her a very relaxing smile. "They could be the size of golf balls, and I wouldn't give a damn," he declared. Mina felt so much happier when she heard him speak these words. "Oh, Sonic!" She lunged into him, kissing him with such a high amount of passion. Her hand began to slowly massage his manstick as she continued her passionate kiss, giving him a huge amount of pleasure. Breaking apart from their kiss, Sonic gently pulled Mina's body towards him, surrounding his tongue all over her breasts, tingling her and giving her an even larger amount of pleasure and excitement. "Yes!" she moaned. "Yes! That's it...Right there...Don't stop!"

She was ready for the final stage of this showing of love. Mina slightly lifted herself from Sonic, and she slowly began to remove her belt, her pants falling down and to the ground. She then followed by taking off her white-colored panties, revealing her lower body. Again, it was simply beautiful to look at. Perfectly made, such a beautiful woman...Sonic was a very lucky man to even get this far with such a perfect angel from heaven. "You're so beautiful, Mina..." he whispered to her, making her giggle with joy. "Thank you," she replied. "Now, then...I'm ready for you." She began to slide his pants down off of his knees and off his body eventually, followed by his underwear. They were both completey naked, ready to become as one with one another and show how far their love would go. She softly grabbed his stick and positioned it so that it would fit right inside of her, and she carefully lowered her body so that it went in. Just that one maneuver alone felt a little painful at first, but a few seconds later, she felt joy and pleasure. "Oh my god!" she moaned. "This is so good! Please, Sonic! Let's do it!" He nodded to agree with his girlfriend, and he began to thrust inside of her at a fixed slow rate. She began to moan and groan in absolute pleasure and enjoyment. She felt as if though she was going to explode...despite that emotion being within Sonic. "Faster!" she begged. "Faster, Sonic! Faster!" Every time she said faster, that's exactly what he did. Thrusting inwards and outwards over and over again, sending them both in a world of excitement and lust. "Don't stop!" she moaned. "Yes! Oh my god, yes! That's it! That's the spot!" They were going at it for a while, until Sonic finally got that feeling every male gets.

"Shit...!" he said, almost as a whisper. "I'm gonna...I'm gonna...cum!" Mina looked down at her lover and smiled widely, panting with joy and pleasure. "Go ahead, Sonic!" she said, continuing the intercourse herself more than letting Sonic do it. It was as if though she was doing all of the work, and she liked it. It felt so good to her, she didn't care if he released inside of her. Sonic did, however, and so, right before he came, he pulled it out from inside of her, releasing himself all over her chest. "That was...incredible!" Mina panted, trying so hard to accept that they were done. It had been going on for more than a solid hour, but even so, it was fantastic. Both candidates felt nothing but pure and absolute pleasure during the entire thing. After they had finished, they just laid there, panting and regaining their breaths while Mina laid on top of Sonic, her hands placed gently on his chest and her breasts pressed up against his torso. "That was amazing, Sonic," she complemented. "You were so good..." Sonic grinned at his girlfriend. "Thanks," he said. "But you were way better than me. It's like you knew what to do to make me feel good...It was like I was in heaven." She giggled at her boyfriend's complements. "I'm glad I could make you happy," she replied, leaning in to kiss him with her tongue. They just decided to lay there, naked and aware of each other, cuddling in each other's grasp while they just allowed time to take its course. At that point, they didn't care about anything but each other, and that's how they felt it would be forever. Even though they loved one another, they weren't quite ready for the high commitments, like marriage. Time would have to tell that story. The two lovers ended up falling asleep.

As Sonic awoke, he realized that Mina was not at his side, but rather she was bathing in the lagoon of water to get herself clean from earlier. He smiled and rose to his feet, walking into the water and coming up behind Mina, making her jump a little bit. But when he wrapped his arms around her lower part, she smiled and placed her hand on the back of his head, as to hold that position. She turned her head to face him, and they began to share another tongue-filled adventure, standing in the middle of the gorgeous lagoon and enjoying every moment there was between them. It was this event that decided that they meant what they said; they loved each other. That's how it would always be, now and forever. With everything said and done, the two returned to their clothes and began to get dressed, walking back home to drop Mina off. As they approached her front door, she turned right to him and once again started to kiss him, the kiss quickly getting more passionate and involving neck massaging and waist grabbing. As they broke apart, she couldn't help but do it again, and he easily returned the kiss with her. This was it, though, and she broke away from him and walked backwards to her door, gazing deeply into his eyes. "I love you," she said, before opening the door and blowing a kiss goodbye. Sonic gestured a hand to make it look like he caught the kiss, and he placed it on his cheek. "I love you, too." She entered her house and left Sonic to return home, the night being very late. They had remained in that lagoon for hours, and before they even left, it was already nine at night. Sonic was ready for a nice, relaxing sleep tonight...and with what happened earlier today, he knew just how soundly he would sleep. 


	21. Chapter 21

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 21 Back to the Search

"We interrupt this program to bring you an important news bulletin!" A TV was heard echoing through Tails' room, the volume turned up to a medium frequency. "We bring you more intel on the mysterious creature that has invaded Station Square. Apparently, the creature's body is forged completely of liquid, making it almost impossible to cause any physical harm to the monster. Witnesses report seeing the fabled Sonic, one of Station Square's heroes, attempting to destroy the monster, only to find his attacks pointless and ineffective. However, later on through the fight, this creature was seen instantly be reduced to a liquid puddle form, but the cause of such an act remains unknown to this day. Some witnesses-names not given-were asked to explain their reports on the situation, and..." The anchorman continued babbling on and on about the mysterious creature. Tails' head was being littered with ideas and thoughts. (Sonic...) he thought. (It looks like...this'll be harder than what happened in the Black District.) He slipped on some very comfty shoes and dashed out the door, going to inform his friends of his new brainstorm.

He didn't have to go very far; you could say that Tails and Sonic were practically right next door to one another. Seriously, it was a minimum of around thirty seconds before he got there. Sonic, on the other hand, was still fast asleep. He didn't have any intention of getting up this "early," even though it was a quarter til noon. He began to ring Sonic's doorbell, the sound echoing all through his friend's house. To his dismay, that didn't work. He rang it once more. Still nothing. (Damn it, Sonic!) he thought. (This is no time to be sleeping!) With a quick thought, he reached for his Star Carrier and began to attempt to hack into Sonic's, which turned out to be quite easy. He was going to adjust the sleep alarm himself, so that it would ring right now...and it did. A loud, easily-annoying screech was heard from inside, followed by a large thump. "Oww!" A voice was heard from the direction of the thump, and within seconds, footsteps were heard coming down to the front door. It began to open, revealing a half-naked Sonic with half-shut eyes. "Tails?" he questioned. "What the hell're you doing here? It's..." He pulled out the SC he had placed safely in his pants, and he read the time. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed. "Well, it's a good thing I woke up, then!" Tails shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Whatever!" he exclaimed. "Just...get dressed and come over to my house!" Slowing nodding his head, Sonic shut the door and began his way upstairs. Tails had a very scary look on his face, almost as if though he was depicting some kind of catastrophe...Unbeknownst to him, he was.

Meanwhile at SciLab, our favorite rival character (Silver, if you didn't know) was sharpening his Netbattling skills in the training lab, facing what would be classified as A-Class viruses and some of SciLab's training Navis, also considered A-Class. They were all ruthless and merciless, but even so, Silver managed to dispatch them quickly and complete his training session, but with an unsatisfied look. "It's not enough..." he whispered to himself. "I've got to have...more power..." It would appear that his day at the tournament in Otherworld BBQ had scarred his ego pretty deeply. He felt weak...weak for losing to a hero. He had never lost before fighting Sonic, and when he did, the first time he easily lost, but the second time around, he barely lost the fight. Of course, he had gotten much stronger, but it still wasn't enough for him if he lost to him. (I'm a disgrace...) That was one of his most common thoughts. He just didn't realize that Sonic was on a whole other level than his own. Still, he wouldn't stop until he was stronger than Sonic...no matter what it took.

Back at Tails' house, the two friends had invited over the others for Tails' big announcement. Mina, Knuckles, and Amy were all there along with them. Four of the five of them were sitting down, whether on Tails' bed or on the floor. "Thank you all for coming," Tails began. Sonic chuckled at his intellectual friend. "Well, you didn't give ME much of a choice, did you?" Tails laughed, knowing that was true. "Yeah, well..." he said. "Anyways, I have something of the utmost importance to tell you all. That monster that appeared in Station Square the other day...I went to SciLab to get the bit of DNA Sonic ripped off of the creature, and I asked Yuichiro for the data sample. As I studied it carefully, I discovered that this creature has the stability of the Chaos Emeralds!" Everyone was shocked. "The emeralds!" exclaimed Amy. "But...that's not possible! That monster was liquid, and the emeralds are a solid substance! How can they possibly be connected?" Tails lifted a finger with a grin on his face. "You didn't let me finish," he declared. "You see, they may share physical indifferences, but thats's not what I meant." Mina brushed back her hair with her hand, getting it out of her face. "Then, what exactly do you mean, Tails?" she questioned.

"The Chaos Emeralds are practically consumed by some kind of otherworldly energy," continued the professor. "Harnessing that magnitude of power can unlock extraordinary abilities and tap into phenominal power. The creature that came into town the other day was forged of the energy from the Chaos Emeralds, meaning that thing is nothing more than concentrated energy from the emeralds." Knuckles gave Tails a glare of confusion. "If that's so," he retaliated, "Then how do you plan on stopping it? If that creature is really made of energy from the emeralds...then that's a LOT of power. I mean, A LOT! That's way more strength than I have...and even more than what Sonic's got!" Sonic blinked at his friend, and he dawned a very depressed look. "I...I'm powerless, huh?" he pressed. Mina put her hand on his, and she gave her boyfriend a cheerful smile. "Of course not," she said. "You're way more than powerless. You saved the world once, and you can do it again!" Sonic grinned at his girlfriend's encouraging words. "Thanks, Mina!" he smiled. Tails managed to get everyone's attention. "Now, then," he continued, "As I was saying...That doesn't mean we can't beat him. All we need to do is collect the seven Chaos Emeralds again and find a way to neutralize their energy long enough to take down the monster. Simple, right? And what's more, I still have the radar, and it's working! Finding those emeralds won't be so hard this time around!"

"That's great!" exclaimed an extatic Sonic. "Which means we don't have any time to waste!" His legs quickly lifted him to his feet, and he grinned before his group of friends. "Everyone...let's get started!" he exclaimed. "This world doesn't need another catastrophe! That's why we gotta fight to our last in order to stop this big drip!" Tails smiled at his energetic friend. "I agree!" he declared as he rose to his feet as well. "If we don't stop him, then that thing will wreak havoc! I'm NOT letting that happen!" Tails placed out his hand as if they were going to tag each other, like in baseball games and such. Sonic placed his hand on top of Tails', and their other friends were soon to follow. "I'm not letting you two have all the fun!" declared a determined Knuckles. "Count me in!" Amy's hand came next. "I'm scared...I'll admit it," she said. "But that doesn't mean I can't fight back and help you all! Sign me up, too!" She placed her hand on Sonic's. Mina lit with a smile, and she placed her hand on the top of the gang of hands. "I won't just sit back and watch you guys do all the work!" she exclaimed. "Count me in! Let's do this!" Sonic lit with a grin, and as he looked at his friends, they swiftly rose their hands into the air. "Let's get to work!" 


	22. Chapter 22

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 22 The Devouring-Emerald 1

There was an ominous air across Station Square. It was as if though the quiet of the city was predicting some kind of dreadful prophecy. Our blue-haired wonder wasn't exactly out looking for the emeralds...like he had agreed to do. No, instead, he was "taking a break" at the Station Square Hotel. He was enjoying a nice tan from the sun near the swimming pool, doing his best not to stare google-eyed at the passing girls that walked by him. Anywhere from teenagers to barely-legal women would walk by him, some of them waving hello and expecting at least a wave back, which Sonic was polite enough to give. Believe it or not, Mina wasn't with him. She was off doing some go-til-you-drop shopping back at the plaza, where pretty much everything was cut in price. His mind was clouded with a few pending thoughts.

"What's gonna happen if he gets all seven again?" Sonic finally whispered to himself. "I mean, Metal Sonic was almost invincible with them all...What'll happen if Robotnik actually feeds that thing the emeralds?" Suddenly, his thoughts were done processing for a moment. His eyes were glued to an airplane darting through the sky...or rather, staggering through the sky. It was on a crash course for the nearby coast! Within seconds, Sonic took a closer look to see that it was none other than his short, technologically-advanced friend. "T-Tails!" he exclaimed. "Oh, shit! Hang on, little buddy!" He sprinted from his feet to the coast, hoping to get to Tails before too long. Dashing through the coast at top-speed, he didn't feel like he was going fast enough...until he suddenly felt his speed kick up to an inhuman level. "What...!" he said, looking down to his feet. It appeared that his speed was breaking the normal barrier. But it wasn't doing it out of a sudden growth of speed; Sonic was developing a skill he would soon find hard to live without. Trying his best to deal with his abnormal speed, he continued at Mach 5 tempo until he finally reached his now collapsed friend.

Sonic kneeled down to his friend's level. He was still breathing, but the impact caused him to be knocked unconscious. Without a second thought, he slapped Tails across the face a total of four times, trying to awaken his best friend. "Damn it, you son-of-a-bitch!" he cried. "Wake up!" To his surprise, his friend began to cough out sand from his mouth. He was all right! "Sonic...?" he said slowly looking up. "Where...am I?" Sonic smiled and rubbed the top of Tails' head, showing he was relieved. "Emerald Coast," he replied. "Guess your little plane needs some tinkering, huh?" Tails chuckled slightly at his friend's enthusiasm. "Yeah, guess so," he said. "Oh! Wait a second!" Tails began searching his pockets with his hands, but he didn't manage to find what he was looking for. "Oh, it must be..." He didn't even finish his sentence before searching through his little delivery bag. He stood up to search through it, and after a couple seconds, he pulled out something the two friends knew all too well. "Look! A Chaos Emerald!" Sonic was shocked to see one to early in their search. "God damn!" he shouted. "That's sweet! You've already found one for the team! Good work!"

"Thanks!" Tails' cheeks turned a slight pink. "I found it during my test flight of the Tornado. I figured that our search for the emeralds would be a lot harder since they were scattered all across the world, so I started building this plane! Sonic, we gotta go back to my workshop so I can start building another one. This plane won't fly anymore...obviously." Sonic groaned in disappointment. "The Mystic Ruins, then?" he said, feeling clairvoyant. Tails nodded in agreement. Sonic swiftly grabbed his hand and, again to a certain shock, began to run as fast as he was earlier. Tails was speechless at the newfound power his friend discovered. "What IS that, Sonic!" Tails yelled, trying to overpower the loud noises of his feet dashing through the sand. "I don't know!" shouted a very enthusiastic Sonic. "And right about now, I don't care! WOO-HOO!" He dashed even faster, making his way back to the pool area within a matter of seconds. His hand released his friend's, and the two of them began walking-yes, walking-towards the train station, so they could catch a train to the Mystic Ruins.

It wasn't long before the two friends were near Tails' workshop in the ever-so wondrous Mystic Ruins. Going up the staircase Tails himself had built to his workshop, they had begun discussing what to do next. "Now that we have a Chaos Emerald," Tails began, "I can get back to work on the Tornado so we can find the other six. It shouldn't be too-" But before he could finish his sentence, a large, rather massive explosion took its course on the small area they had approached. The earth began to shake, due to the aftermath of the destruction. The two friends ducked down on their stomachs, hoping to escape any other disasters. "What the hell!" screamed Sonic. As their eyes averted to the direction of the explosion, it was revealed that Robotnik had been the cause, floating in midair in his giant mechanical device. "Good to see you again, Sonic!" he exclaimed. "Now, with formalities out of the way..." Within seconds, his mech sprouted enormous mechanical arms, both being the size of a small building. "Give me the Chaos Emerald!" he shouted. "If you do, I MIGHT just spare your lives!"

"You wish!" retaliated the blue-haired hero. "I'm not gonna let you have your way!" His legs leapt him high into the air, and he reached swiftly for his Star Carrier and activated it. The fight was on between the two arch enemies. The robotic arms reached for the blue blur, but his feet were far too quick for them to grab ahold of. He dodged the madness, his body moving in different directions and traveling around like a rapidly flowing fluid. He flipped over the left arm and quickly readied a LongSword. The sword materiallized on his right arm, and his legs began to dash him upwards on the arm, leading him to Robotnik. His right arm rose itself and came crashing down, striking Robotnik's machine and causing it to explode. He managed to dodge before his body was caught in the explosion. Even though his feat was impressive, Robotnik wasn't ready to go down quite yet.

"Fools!" exclaimed the infuriated egghead. "I was hoping this would come! Prepare for my newest creation in my assortment of war-mechs: the Egg Hornet!" His finger pressed a bright red button on his ruined mech, which caused the mechanical arms to retreat and begin to form onto the circular mech. The arms bent backwards and formed into the position of a hornet's closed wings, truly becoming the Egg Hornet. "Die!" he shouted. Missiles suddenly began to exit the machine, and the cowardly maniac retreated far over the ocean to escape the blasts. Sonic had to think fast before the missiles attacked him; they were coming in quick. Finding the solution through the power of a chip, he swiftly reached for a chip and inserted it. "Barrier4!" he exclaimed. "Download!" As the missiles landed, they came into direct contact with the hero, but even so, he remained unharmed. His new, stronger barrier blocked the attack, but afterwards, it shattered into tiny pieces of elegant amber glass and vanished into thin air.

But before Sonic got the chance to react, he could sense something was amiss. How could this fight be so easy? Robotnik never gave his opponent the upper hand; never. He would always find a way to cheat...and he did. Within seconds, Sonic's legs were restrained by unknown robot arms, which latched tightly around his legs. "Damn it!" he exclaimed, looking down. To be honest, he didn't see a solution to this problem himself. Robotnik laughed insanely from the distance, knowing that this would be the end of their little battle. "Finally...I'll kill you right where you stand!" he shouted. The Egg Hornet slowly began to grow a drill from the front, and as it continued to emerge, it began to emit a type of electrical energy that could easily shock those who touch it to death. Seconds flew by...and the charge reached its maximum level. "DIE!" The entire machine lunged forward and over to Sonic, attempting to crush his bones and all hope this world has left. But even though iminent death stared him right in the face, he smiled. "I don't think so," he said, and with that, a particular flare of light shined from his body. It was protecting him from Robotnik's machine. The drill was literally inches away from his body, and before it got the chance to strike him, he was gone! The robotic arms holding him in place were destroyed, and Robotnik's mech was drilled deep into the ground. It was obvious he couldn't move.

"I don't believe this!" exclaimed a very confused Robotnik. Within seconds after his sentence was finished, Sonic warped-yes, WARPED-right next to Robotnik, and he had a very daring grin across his face. A fully-powered LifeSword was already prepared on his right arm. "See ya." Those were the last words Robotnik heard his enemy say before he completely destroyed his machine, causing a massive implosion and ruining Robotnik's plans...again. Sonic had borrowed the form of Full Synchro to use this kind of power. He had broken the barriers between the Cyberworld and the human world, and with that kind of power, he used it to defeat his enemy. "That was close," he admitted with a smile. "I kinda thought I was gonna die there, for a second." Tails could only laugh; he didn't even acknowledge the fact that he practically wet himself watching the fight. "Y-Yeah!" he said. Tails and Sonic began their return up to Tails' workshop, but before they got too far, what was left of Robotnik's mechanical arms grabbed the Chaos Emerald and placed it in Robotnik's grasp. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "I didn't...really think that would work, but hey, it did!"

"God damn it!" exclaimed an exhausted Sonic. "Haven't you had enough for one chapter? Gimme the emerald back!" Robotnik's fingers snapped, and in a very short period of time, the very same liquified menace from before began to shape itself before Robotnik. The scientist's face lit with a sinister grin, and he carelessly threw the emerald into the monster. There was a bright flash of light, and Chaos had absorbed the first emerald. The only true difference was that his membrane was bigger, and he was much taller. "Oh, damn!" Sonic said. "Isn't that the same freak of nature I saw the other day!" Robotnik felt it necessary to grant his enemies a speech. "This is Chaos, the God of Destruction!" he began. "You see, with every Chaos Emerald I give him, he feeds on their negative energy...and grows much, MUCH stronger! Soon, he will absorb all seven emeralds, and when he does, he shall obey me! With his help, I will easily destroy the entire world and create my ultimate utopia among its ruins! Yes...with the powers of Chaos, nothing can stand before me!" Chaos instantly teleported him and his "master" away within the blink of an eye. They were far away from their enemies Sonic and Tails.

"I don't like the looks of this." Tails turned to his friend with a very troubled expression. "If Robotnik really DOES get all seven Chaos Emeralds, that Chaos creature will only get stronger...We can't let that happen!" The two friends dashed towards Tails' workshop, beginning their construction on the next Tornado. Hopefully, their luck will be better this time... 


	23. Chapter 23

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 23 Interruption-Emerald 2

What a beautiful sunset to do some shopping. Mina, our spirited young heroine, was out in Station Square doing some late browsing to see if there was anything else she "needed." Yeah...by "need," it's completely a "want." Eventually, her trip lead her to a brand-new Victoria's Secret shop. As she stood outside of the doors to the store, she suddenly went deep into thought. As she did, her cheeks were thrown into a different color. "I'll bet Sonic would love some sexy lingerie!" she whispered to herself, giggling afterwards. She skipped to the doors, opening one of them and going inside. Immediately upon entering the room, her nose was filled with a horrid stench. She nearly fainted because of its awful stank. "Oh sweet Jesus...!" she gasped, dropping her bags and covering her nose. The cashier lady gave her a "whatever" look. You could easily tell she wasn't exactly the best person suited for the job; maybe the half-cut sleeveless shirt and the shorts that don't even TOUCH her knees kinda gave it away. If THAT didn't then check out the skanky lipstick and mascara.

"What IS that smell...?" Mina managed to ask, gasping for air afterwards. The girl looked at her and rolled her eyes. "Hon," she started, "You get used to it after the first couple times." Mina suddenly looked confused. "First few times doing what?" The cashier smiled at her. "Having sex in the dressing room," she replied. That was enough incentive to get Mina to hold her breath, reach down for her bags, and immediately turn to exit the building. As she left the horrible place that was Victoria's Secret, she finally exhaled. "I'm NEVER going in there again!" she exclaimed. Stamping off in a ruined mood, she carelessly bumped into someone and fell to the ground. She immediately snapped and began to tell the person off. "Hey, buddy!" she shouted. "Why don't you watch where you're-" But before she finished her sentence, she saw that the person she bumped into was none other than Amy. "Mina?" she said. "What're you doing here?" She held out an arm to help the girl up. Back on her feet, she brushed off her pants and faced her friend. "Just getting in some shopping," she replied with a smile. "What about you?"

"I'm looking for..." Amy had actually planned on talking to Sonic, but she didn't want Mina to know. It would obviously cause a lot of trouble, especially between Mina and Sonic. Even though she was more like Mina's rival, she didn't want to be TOO cruel. "I'm...uhh...going over to Tails' workshop!" she lied. "You wanna go with? It's in the Mystic Ruins." Mina gave her a curious, peculiar look. "Huh..." she said. "That DOES sound fun. Sure! Let's go!" The two girls headed for the train station, even though that's obviously not where Amy wanted to go. As they approached the train station, it was almost too crowded with people. Everyone was hustling and bustling as if there was no tomorrow; picking up their bags, putting them on the train, and getting ready to depart. "Okay, then!" Amy tried to fake. "L-Let's go see Tails!" Mina once again gave her a peculiar look. "Amy, are you okay?" she asked, seeming concerned. "You're acting weird..." Amy practically had a red light flashing on her forehead. "W-What?" she tried to escape. "N-No! Nothing at all! I'm just ready to go see Tails! The Mystic Ruins are so wonderful, you know?"

Just as soon as she finished her sentence, a large rumbling occured, which had the magnitude of an earthquake. The entire train was rumbling violently. "What's going on!" exclaimed Amy. Everything grew silent for a few seconds. At that time, the entire train shut down within moments, and it released a powerful explosion. "Shit!" shouted Mina. She and Amy quickly ducked to the ground to dodge the aftermath of the explosion, and within the flames revealed a massive machine. It was another one of Robotnik's great creations. It was in the shape of a gargantuan golem. A voice could be heard from inside of the golem's mainframe. "Behold, fools!" it echoed. "The Egg Golem! One of my greatest creations! Taste my wrath and see who your real overlord is!" Everyone was thrown into a panick, and they all attempted to escape outside, only to be blocked by the massive machine's arm. This single impact destroyed most of the building's inside features, being the stairs and parts of the walls. It also completely wrecked the train, meaning there wouldn't be any transportation anytime soon.

"Son of a bitch!" shouted an infuriated Mina. "Every time I go out, something like this happens!" She swiftly threw out her Star Carrier and activated it, so she could do battle with the mechanical menace. The machine's arms lifted high into the air and slammed down to Mina's position, sending a massive shockwave of dirt and dust to blind her. However, she easily dodged long before its arms even touched the ground, and she landed firmly on the golem's hand, dashing upwards and all the way to the head. She equipped herself with her trusty BronzeSpinner chip, and she struck the golem straight in its ruby eyes. This caused the machine's head to spin rapidly, until eventually, it fell off, crashing violently to the ground of Cyberworld. The battle seemed won, but as Mina landed safely back onto the ground, the golem's head suddenly reactivated, and it once again placed itself firmly on its body. Her face burned with a sneer of agitation. "If I can't decapitate the thing, then what's the easiest way to get rid of it!"

Mina's peridot orbs circled the area rapidly, hoping to find some way to defeat her opponent. She stood in thought for a while, planning a wondrous idea. "Got it!" she exclaimed, luring the golem to her. The golem's eyes were continuously shooting laser beams of a scarlet color at her, barely shaving away from her location. Finally, her legs leapt her high into the air, and her right arm formed into a FireSword. "Let's end this!" she shouted, waving the blade high above her head. As the golem retained its position, it quickly retaliated with its fist, blocking her attack. "What...!" she blinked. The golem instilled force upon its arm, pushing Mina off of it and sending her flying away and into a wall, breaking pieces of it with her impact. Her cheeks shed a few drops of blood, as she had bitten her lip as she came into contact with the wall. "Damn it..." she said, slightly bruised from the massive attack she had just endured.

The golem's intentions were clear; it was ready to finish the fight. So, its arms formed into one gargantuan cannon, and the cannon's tip began to emit an ominous light energy. It was storing the necessary power for a full-fledged charge attack, which would easily kill Mina and end the fight with that enormous amount of power. (No!) she thought. (I can't...Not like this!) Suddenly, a large hammer was seen flying into the golem's right eye, destroying it and sending the golem plummeting to the ground. It was Amy's signature weapon, the Put Put Hammer! She quickly helped Mina out from the wall and stood her back on her feet. "Thanks," she said in gratitude. "I owe you, Amy." Amy smiled at her friend. "Not a problem!" she giggled. "Whaddya say we give the big guy one last show?" Mina nodded, and together, they inserted chips to give them the LifeSword, which they conveniently learned from Sonic's past experiences from using it during the big showdown. "LIFESWORD!" they shouted in unison, sending their blades deep into the chest of the giant golem. Its body began to malfunction, and within mere moments, the entirety of the Egg Golem imploded, leaving nothing behind except numerous dust clouds from the impact of the atmosphere was, otherwise, silenced. After a few seconds, cheers were heard and the two heroines of the day turned to face the crowd. Their cheeks turned a little red, unable to fully cope with the praise they were receiving.

"That was amazing!" exclaimed an energetic man from the crowd. His legs lead him closer to the two girls. "My name is Regal, and I was on my way to the Mystic Ruins to do some research. It seems my studies will have to wait, but...That was truly remarkable! I haven't the words needed for praise!" Mina giggled at the man. "It's no big deal, really," she played. "My boyfriend tackles stuff like this all the time, so I guess I...kinda got it from him! Hehehe!" Regal laughed slightly, not showing much enthusiasm. "Well, regardless, I-" But before he could finish, his eyes were caught on a shining object hanging from a shredded wire high in midair. "What is that?" he questioned. Mina and Amy looked up to see that it was a Chaos Emerald! "It's one of the emeralds!" they exclaimed simultaneously. Mina's feet sprung her into the air, and within seconds, she retrieved the emerald and came back down to the ground. "I had no idea..." she said. "Guess we got lucky this time around, huh?" She placed the emerald in her pocket for safe keeping. Regal cleared his throat to grab attention. "I hate to be a burden," he lied, "But do you possibly know if there is another way to the Mystic Ruins? I really need to get started." Amy thought long and hard for an answer, until she finally came to one. "There's another train at the opposite end of town!" she retaliated. "If you want, we'll take you there. Let's go!" The three hurried to the other side of town to catch the train, but before they could make it into the station, they were greeted by yet another posing threat.

"It's good to see you again, ladies!" grinned a sick, twisted familiar man in the distance. Mina and Amy immediately threw out their SC's for battle, but before they got too far, they were subdued by a hand to the back of the neck, rendering them unconscious and unable to fight back. They lied there on the cold ground, motionless but barely breathing. It was Regal who committed such an act! His face was turned with a sadistic grin, one that could easily match that of Robotnik's. "Sir," he began, "Just as you thought, there was an emerald at the station." He reached into the lifeless Mina's right pocket and began to shift through it, stealing the yellow chaos emerald that was inside of it. "Here you are." He turned to face his employer and gave him the emerald, Robotnik laughing once again like a maniac upon receiving it. "Yes..." he grinned. "Things are going alon quite smoothly! If this is how easy things will be this time around...there's no stopping me from getting all seven emeralds again!" Regal turned the other direction, beginning to walk off with a smile on his face. "Where are you going!" demanded a confused Robotnik. "I don't remember giving you orders to leave!" Regal chuckled at his employer. "Oh, I don't remember EVER asking you to be my new master," he said. His fingers snapped, and Robotnik was suddenly surrounded by an enormous ring of fire. Luckily, the girls remained unharmed, but when they woke up, they would certainly shriek at their new bad hair day waiting to happen. Robotnik was actually scared by this man's threats. "Don't tell me what to do," demanded Regal. "Follow me, and I assure you; that blue-haired boy will be the LEAST of your worries. Goodbye, Doctor. I'm taking my payment and leaving."

"You can't do this!" raged a furious Robotnik. "I...I OWN you! Don't you DARE walk away from me!" Regal laughed wildly at the man's comments. "Absurd," he replied. "Did you really think I ever trusted you in the first place? Foolish. I had no interest in befriending you. I simply supplied the funding for your little 'experiment,' which you failed to complete...miserably, might I add. Metal Sonic was the worst investment I ever made. Hopefully, this...'Chaos' creature you have tucked away somewhere won't disappoint me so much. Robotnik flailed his arms into the air. "Know your place, bastard!" he shouted. "Chaos is the genuine example of ultimate evil! Once he gets all seven Chaos Emeralds, everything ends! The world will be nothing but a wasteland when he's done with it!" He lit with a grin. "I already possess two emeralds, and with them, Chaos grows much stronger than he previously was before!" Regal turned his head away from the doctor. "Let's hope so," he stated. "Or else, the last thing you'll see is my hand entering your heart chamber." With those words spoken, Regal disappeared into the field of flames, and within moments, they disappeared as if nothing had happened. It was just an illusion! A scam! Regal had fooled the doctor this whole time. But even so, he didn't care. At least, he didn't look like he did. All he did was fly off into the distant sky on his flying machine, leaving behind the two heroines and getting away once again with a Chaos Emerald. That's two down, and five to go! 


	24. Chapter 24

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 24 The Showdown: Distance of Lies

Silence...That's bascially all he felt. He couldn't help but stare before him; it was just such a wonderful sight to behold. "This is..." he said, almost as a whisper. He somehow felt drawn to it, but it wasn't exactly something he was happy about. "This is...the emerald..." he tried to continue. As his feet led him up the steps to the top of the shrine, his blue orbs widened in awe and anxiety. "The Master Emerald..." he finally said. "This is that...giant emerald that's been haunting my dreams!" Knuckles had stumbled across the massive emerald known simply as the Master Emerald, and as he placed his right hand on the colossal gem, a rather light voice began to speak into his mind. (I've waited for you, Knuckles,) it spoke. The red-haired hothead flipped out. "Who's there?" he demanded, pulling out his Star Carrier and getting ready for a fight. Nothing. No one else was there. He was all alone. But as he turned once again to face the emerald, the voice spoke again. (Don't be afraid.) it continued. (I won't hurt you. I merely have something to tell you.) Knuckles lowered his arms to give the voice a chance to explain. "...I'm listening," he said, "But not for long. Make it quick."

Just as he finished trying to act cool, he was baffled to witness a young girl, hair similar to his except orange-tinted, suddenly emerge from the Master Emerald. "Hello there," she giggled. "My name is Tikal." His heart raced a lot faster than it did before all this happened. He was sweating almost like a pig. "K...Knuckles," he hesitated. She giggled at his embarrassment. "Don't worry, my friend," she comforted, "I only wish to tell you of your destiny." Those words...they flickered a newfound journey of self-discovery inside of him. "What did you just say?" he demanded. "If you know something about me...or even...what I'm here for...then tell me! I deserve to know!" Tikal simply shook her head and laughed. "It's okay," she said with a pleasant tone. "Telling you everything now is simply not going to help you. It's far too much to explain. Hmm...where to start..." She began tapping her head with her finger in hopes of finding a good place to begin explaining. Finally, after approximately four-hundred and eighty-six taps of the finger, she spoke to him.

"You are a descendant of our tribe," Tikal began to discuss. "Thousands of years ago, I was charged with controlling the balance of power between the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds. The seven Chaos Emeralds are dependent-and controlled by-the Master Emerald, the single-most powerful artifact this world will ever know. Through the course of time, this single gem has kept the world in check. The only reason this planet is not torn apart is because of the Master Emerald's influence. Without this gem, order cannot exist. This brings me...to the other dilemma." Knuckles shook his head to rub away his confusion. "Dilemma?" he asked. "Wait...Is there something wrong with the Master Emerald?" Tikal continued her explanation. "You see, the being that once lived inside of this emerald is now wreaking havoc across this world. You may know him as...Chaos, the God of Destruction." His mind was cracked, shattered into pieces, what with all the "difficult" words flying about everywhere. You know, like "You" and "Him." "Chaos..." he whispered. "Why does that...sound so...familiar?" Within moments, it all snapped together inside his head. "THAT MONSTER!" he shouted. "You mean Chaos is the one keeping the balance within the Master Emerald? But wait...if he's not here keeping the planet in check...then..."

"Your world shall soon be torn apart," Tikal interrupted. "Yes...Chaos has the influence on this world, and his power is of a magnitude you could never reach. No mortal can challenge the powers of a God, I'm afraid." Knuckles stared down at the ground, deep into thought. (Chaos...) he thought. (That monster...is really the whole reason the world is still around? Impossible!) But even though he wanted to tell himself she was lying, his heart couldn't lower itself to believe him. "I need some time to think," he finally declared, running off to the train station and back to Station Square. Tikal shook her head in disappointment. "I knew it..." she said. "The truth...it hurts, doesn't it?" His feet moved him faster and faster, until he finally got on a train and arrived at Station Square. He needed to clear his thoughts, so he decided to go to the center of town and relax by the gorgeous fountain. A few moments after sitting down to rest, he caught a glimpse of Robotnik entering an old building, one that was planned to be torn down and remade into something better. "Robotnik...?" he said, standing up to get a closer look. "It is! That bastard!" He dashed into the building and stopped, waiting for something to happen. It was quiet...too quiet for him to bear. Suddenly, lights flickered on, and the first thing that he saw was a tall, dangerous-looking being formed completely out of liquid.

"C...Chaos!" shouted a startled Knuckles. His feet stepped him backwards and away from the monster, and his ears were ringing with the sound of maniacal laughter in the distance. "Ahh, Knuckles!" Robotnik played. "My dear friend! So good to see you again! Have you brought me any of the Chaos Emeralds?" Knuckles pulled out his SC and performed a wave transmit. "Robotnik!" he exclaimed. "How many emeralds has Chaos consumed?" Robotnik laughed like a weirdo as he replied to his enemy's demand. "Two!" he grinned. "And guess what? He's only going to get stronger from here!" His left hand formed into his pointer finger, and Chaos complied by charging towards Knuckles. The battle had begun! Knuckles was slightly prepared for his opponent, but before he could get a full grasp on the situation, Chaos suddenly decomposed and soaked into the ground, making him not only invisible, but invincible. Knuckles turned his head in different directions, looking for any signs of his liquid foe. Within seconds, the ground below his feet began to shatter, and he managed to bolt out of the way before Chaos raged forth and attempted to smash him with his massive claw arm. As he dashed around the room, Chaos began to fire blasts of water at his enemy, which were not very far away from hitting him with every shot. It was only after about three waves that the red-haired tank decided to take action.

"How about THIS?" Knuckles sprinted off of the wall he had managed to climb, and within seconds, he prepared a SilverAxe. The weapon consumed his right arm, and the blade of the axe struck right through Chaos, cutting his body in half. However, despite his efforts, Chaos almost instantly reconstructed itself, coming back as healthy as before. This didn't shock the teen at all; rather, he felt prepared for this moment. With determination, he pulled out a Spark chip and inserted it. "Have a sip of this!" he shouted, firing a black-tinted spark ball at Chaos. The attack managed a direct hit on the beast, and it instantly released itself to shock and damage him. Chaos was not only damaged immensely, but he was stunned! Now was the perfect chance for Knuckles to think of something strong enough to take out Chaos!

Knuckles didn't have much time to think this over. It was now, or never. Chaos would only remain stunned for a short period of time, and he knew that such a chance had to be taken advantage of. His legs ran him forward to meet the watery menace, and his feet launched him off of the ground and into the air. He readied a GoldAxe and came down hard, stabbing right through the monster and causing his body to completely shatter. Although he expected Chaos to reconstruct himself, the beast just sort of lied there...motionless, as if he was actually beaten. Hell, even Robotnik thought Chaos was dead! "This CAN'T be!" he exclaimed. "The God of Destruction...killed by a mere BOY!" But as their doubts began to intensify, Chaos very swiftly recovered itself. Robotnik laughed in relief. "That's more I like it!" he said. "Now, then...if you'll excuse me, we have more important business to attend to." Knuckles rose a fist to his enemies. "Robotnik!" he shouted. "Why did you even bother to fight me? Chaos isn't nearly as strong as you thought it was!" Robotnik snickered. "You're such a foolish boy," he said. "Don't you know the true nature of Chaos? Who he really is?" Knuckles almost immediately replied with a very angry tone. "He's the spirit of the Master Emerald!" he retaliated. "If he dies, then so does this world! I get that! But what do YOU care?"

"The Chaos Emeralds are the children of that massive gem!" Robotnik continued. "Without the Master Emerald, the Chaos Emeralds would lose power, and they would be rendered useless! THAT's where Chaos comes in! When he absorbs the powers of a Chaos Emerald, he becomes stronger only through the influence of the Master Emerald! Your friend Sonic knows all about the Master Emerald...and at this very moment, he and your other friends are planning to destroy it!" His hands tightened into fists. "You bastard!" he yelled. "Sonic would NEVER-" But before he could finish, Robotnik laughed and continued with his explanation. "Sonic sees the Master Emerald as an obstacle. If you wish to preserve the world, then you might want to find him and stop him, before it's too late!" With that, Robotnik teleported off somewhere with Chaos by his side, leaving Knuckles with nothing but doubts and suspicion. "Sonic..." he said, his eyes looking to the ground in confusion. "If he destroys the emerald...then...the whole world will be destroyed...!" He turned his body to face the door and began bolting as fast as he could to the Mystic Ruins. (I have to stop him, before he goes too far!) 


	25. Chapter 25

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 25 The Third Emerald-Up For a Gamble?

"Are we there yet?" Those were the annoyed words of the blue-haired hero, traveling with his friend Tails through the bounds of the Mystic Ruins. "Just a little further," he heard his enthusiastic friend speak from a short distance. "The radar's picking up strong signals around this same area. Hurry up, Sonic. Don't dawdle behind." Sonic let out an unhappy groan and exhaled. "Fine, fine," he said. "Just wish you'd hurry up and tell me where it is so I can get it." Seconds after he finished his sentence, the radar began flashing violently. Tails looked to his feet, for there was a Chaos Emerald on the right one. "Oh! Here it is!" His arm reached for the emerald, but before he could grab it, something suddenly pushed him away, causing him to land on the ground. "Ouch!" he exclaimed. "What the hell was that!" Sonic hurried to his friend's side and aided him back to his feet. They both saw that the emerald was simply sitting there, untouched by the hands of man for quite a while. Suddenly, the emerald shaped into a small metal box, grew little propellors and began to fly back towards Station Square. Baffled and clueless, the two friends slowly turned their heads to face each other. "What just happened?"

A small sign began to rise from the dirt, and it was flashing the words, "Come to our latest resort, Casinopolis!" Tails had to think for a minute, then he remembered something important. "Casinopolis is that new top-class casino that was built almost right across from that hotel in Station Square! Maybe that's where the emerald...umm...'flew off' to!" Sonic grinned at his friend and started to noogie him. "I'm just glad we have that little brain of yours!" he laughed. He started running back to the train station to get away from Tails' playful anger. "I don't have a little brain!" he shouted on the way back. They took the train and arrived at Station Square within the hour. It was already sunset before they got there, so it was time to hit the casino. For a few minutes, they just kind of stood there...a little blank as to what to do next. "Sooooo...ummmm..." Tails couldn't think of anything, which was surprising. Sonic suddenly thought of an idea to get in. "Hey, Tails..." he said. Tails looked a little nervous, but when he saw his friend take a few steps and to the door, he suddenly felt really stupid. "Y'know, we could just..." Sonic said, placing his hand lightly on the button to open the door. Pressing it, Tails couldn't feel more ashamed of himself. Sonic grinned. "Walk in."

The place was flashing with seizure-inducing lights and the tables were surrounded with people, ranging anywhere between the ages of 21 to 34. Women dressed in bunny costumes were practically littered around the place, and their outfits were so revealing that they were barely 20% covered. Tails couldn't help but feel a little...well, out of place. Even though he was a high school student, and you'd expect him to have a Lifesword in his pants by now, he was more embarrassed and ashamed than excited and aroused. Sonic glanced over at his friend, and he lit with a wide grin. "Virgin," he played. Tails, almost immediately after the comment, snapped out of his shame and punched Sonic in the face. "So what!" he detested. "Not like YOU'VE done anything better!" Sonic's cheeks turned a little red as he got back on his feet. "Y-Yeah, sure..." he hesitated. "Uhh, anyways...Let's look around!"

The two friends split up, searching every corner of the resort for any signs of the emerald. Sonic's first stop was the chip booth, where numerous prizes were set up for those who had the chips. Along the way, he was ambushed by a group of bunny girls, who kept ranting about how adorable his cheeks were and how they'd like to eat him up...you know, stuff like that. Tails' first stop was, of course, the shower room. He wasn't even thinking when he started pulling curtains and looking inside. Even though, almost every time he did, he was forced to let out a static "Sorry!" and close the curtains, moving along to the next shower, only to do the same. You could say it wasn't his GREATEST experience. Finally, Tails returned to the main room, a wide crimson on his face. His eyes averted downwards to hide from the sight of others. Sonic returned to his friend, and he witnessed his eyes and grew concerned. "Hey, what's wrong, Tails?" he asked. The yellow-haired teen shuttered, and he grew a disturbed look on his face. "That's the LAST time I ever start my search in the shower room!" he declared.

"Why'd you start there in the first place?" played Sonic. "Well, whatever. I got some info." Tails blinked at his friend. "Wait...so, YOU get information...but I don't? This sucks...I'm starting to think you're smarter than me sometimes..." Sonic started rubbing the back of his head. "Nah, I'm just better at getting answers! Anyways, I heard that there's a one-time prize here in Casinopolis. If we can collect 4,000 chips, we can turn them into the prize chamber ahead and collect the Chaos Emerald!" Tails clapped his hands in a playful yet taunting manner. "Congratulations! You're not so useless, huh?" Sonic noogied his friend and made him laugh. "Of course not!" The two then began to compose a plan to collect chips quickly. There were plenty of games to play to find the chips, but there had to be one in particular that gave out a healthy amount. There ended up being one: NIGHTS Into Dreams.

"Hey, this one looks promising." Sonic pointed to the giant head of the fabled NIGHTS, the famous icon of Casinopolis. Tails looked up to see the entirety of the massive head. "Oh, right...NIGHTS! NIGHTS even has his own TV show called NIGHTS Into Dreams...of course, there's a Casino attraction named after it!" This comment actually phased the blue-haired teen. "Umm...how did you know there was a TV show based off of NIGHTS?"

"Umm...it's actually a cartoon."

"Uh-huh..."

"...What? Is something wrong?"

"Dude, you're fifteen. Still watching cartoons?"

Tails slapped Sonic on the back of the head. "Okay, sorry!" he played. "Well, whatever the case, let's get to work!" Tails was the first to try the game, but to his dismay, he wasn't very good at it. In fact, he lost within the first round. He didn't receive any chips. But when Sonic's turn came around, he was practically born to gamble. In fact, he ended up getting farther than anyone has ever gotten before: Round 90, which was actually the final round! The entire crowd of people in the casino were speechless to see such talent, and they began clapping and cheering behind Sonic as he continued to win chips. However, unbeknowst to him, he had already won a whopping 6,054 chips, which was more than enough to get the emerald. So, Tails slowly tiptoed past the crowd of people with enough chips to get the emerald, purchased it, and tugged on Sonic's shoulder to let him know it was time to go. "Not yet, just a couple more minutes," he would hear Sonic say every time he tugged on his shoulder. His reaction was always in the same tone of voice, too...It's as if he was a zombie. Eventually, Tails managed to lunge Sonic out the door and finally get him out of the clutches of a casino game.

"Thanks," Sonic blurted, "I needed that...It was so...addicting!" Tails laughed at his friend's distaste. "Well, you must be a natural-born gambler!" he joked. "Anyway, we got the emerald, so we don't need to be here anymore. Let's go-" Before he could finish his sentence, a small black ball suddenly tapped him on the foot. When his eyes met with it, the ball suddenly spread out, revealing a shiny, polished internal mainframe, along with eight holes that suddenly started to exude some kind of gas. It was a type of sleeping gas! Within seconds, the two heroes were down on their knees, coughing and wheezing, trying their best to stay awake. "Damn...!" coughed Tails. "What...is this...?" That was all he could say before he passed out on the ground, and Sonic followed shortly after. Afterwards, a hooded man in a stained white cloak appeared. Bending down to his knees, he shifted through the pockets of the young teenage braniac, scoring the Chaos Emerald they had worked so hard to obtain. The man ran off from the scene, unknowingly dropping a sort of tracking device on the ground. It was in the same shape as Robotnik's signature logo, the one he places on all of his evil creations.

It was morning by the time the heroes awoke from their forced sleep. Sonic was the first to rise, confused and a little frustrated as to what happened. He began to tug on Tails' clothes, eventually waking him up and causing him to arise. As soon as he stood on his two feet once again, he felt an unexpected draft in his pockets. As he began searching through them, he felt that the emerald was missing. "No!" he exclaimed. "Where the hell is it!" Sonic suddenly grew angry. "Lemme guess; the emerald's missing?" he shouted. "Damn! That gas HAD to be Robotnik! He just stole the emerald...Now, he's got three!" Tails brushed off his pants and turned to face his friend. "That means three to none, and that's NOT good. C'mon, Sonic! Let's get back to the Mystic Ruins and see if we can't find anything!" Sonic nodded, and with that said, the two friends began dashing towards the Mystic Ruins, hoping that they could once again obtain an emerald...and this time, keep it. Three down...only four more to go! 


	26. Chapter 26

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 26 Emerald Four-The Chilling Thrill!

Another emerald was lost to the forces of evil, and the two friends Sonic and Tails weren't exactly happy about it. They had been forced unconscious, had their pockets violated, and had such hard work result to nothing. The calm air of the Mystic Ruins was about the only upside to this whole thing, that and the fact that a new cave was recently discovered within the time they were away. It lead to yet another cave area, which Tails was having the time of his life exploring. "It looks so awesome in here!" But what really ended up catching his eye was the massive wall of ice that lied deeper within the cave. Part of the frozen wall was shaved from the rest, resembling a door of some sort. At least, it appeared to be some kind of door.

"This looks ominous," stated Sonic. "Maybe...hmmm..." His right hand gently placed itself on the shaved ice, and to his surprise, the wall suddenly began to separate, revealing an entrance further into the ice-covered cove. "Whoa..." gasped a surprised Sonic. "Did NOT see that coming." Tails' feet were the first thing to step into the frozen cave, and everywhere you looked, there was some kind of prehistoric life frozen over into nothing more than a big chunk of ice. There was a small pool of chilling water with a raggedy, almost broken wooden bridge spread so anyone could cautiously cross over it. Their feet were very careful crossing over this bridge, and after a long while, they came across an even worse-looking ladder, one that could easily break at any possible moment. At first, Sonic and Tails were a little hesitant to climb the ladder, both sharing the same fear of falling off and busting their heads open. "Guess I'll go and check things out," breathed a skeptical Sonic. Tails nodded, and he smiled at his friend's rather questionable enthusiasm. "Remember to message me from the SC whenever you see anything, okay?" Sonic nodded, and very slowly, he proceeded up the ancient ladder, hoping with all his being that he would even make it that far.

To his eternal surprise, when Sonic emerged to the top of the ladder, his mind was baffled at what his eyes had seen. It was a frozen paradise, one that was absolutely beautiful. Sure, it was obviously cold and quiet, but hey, after what seemed to be thousands of years, what could he expect from something like this? "Wow!" he exclaimed, his mouth wide open and his peridot eyes widened. "This must have been...some kind of ancient city!" His feet moved him carefully through the area, and as he moved forward, his eyes circled around him, observing his surroundings. He suddenly jumped when his SC began to ring. It was Tails, concerned with his wherabouts. He clicked his SC and heard his friend's voice on the other line. "Sonic?" he asked. "Everything okay? What do you see?" Sonic's eyes looked up and wandered through the magnificent city of ice, and his face lit with a wide smile. "Tails..." he barely managed to even speak through his awe. "You should see this place...It's so awesome!"

"Whaddya mean, awesome?" questioned a still hesitant Tails. "Really, Sonic, it can't be THAT amazing. It's just a bunch of ice, remember that! Now, see if you can find the emerald!" Tails instantly cut off the line, leaving Sonic back to his hunt for the chaos emerald. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "So touchy..." His feet dashed him through the gorgeous, crystalline city, using some of the frozen obstacles as platforms to proceed onward. He came across various traps, such as spiked floors that only activated when a certain buried switch was triggered. Another was the statues of ice that decorated the walls of the narrow corridors, which would suddenly shine and begin shooting breath of ice, which would almost instantly freeze their targets. As skilled as he was, Sonic still only barely managed to pass by all of these traps in order to save his life. Eventually, he made his way to the highest possible elevation in the massive frozen city, and he duscovered a large hole to fall down. "Hmmmm..." He was puzzled whether or not he should proceed. A grin spread across his face. "Well, might as well try!" His words lunged him off the ground and into the massive hole, sending him tumbling down to the mysteries below.

His feet managed to land him accurately enough so that he didn't get hurt from the fall, and he took a moment to readjust to his surroundings. This place was much darker and mysterious than where he previously was. Not only that, but there was a massive sea of dangerous-looking water down below him, filled to the brim with plenty of enormous, bloodthirsty fish that could chop away at your flesh within seconds. Pieces of gold and silver were scattered about freely across the area, symbolizing what it could have been. "A treasure chamber?" Sonic questioned as his eyes averted to the said currency spread across the area. "Yeah...that would make sense, what with this place being hidden and all." Very cautiously, his feet moved him across the pillars of frozen rock, making his way down to the large waters that were once below him. Now, he stood merely ten or fifteen feet higher than the water, and the fish were already nipping and grinding their teeth to devour his flesh. There were very small platforms that were once boxes spread through the water, and the only way across was to land on each one of them and jump across. Such a trial would require a good amount of effort, and if Sonic were to screw up even one move, he would fall into the water and be eaten alive by the horde of hungry fish. He stretched his arms and readied himself for his next actions.

"Here goes somethin'!" As he shouted across the enclosed chamber, his legs lunged him high into the air, and his feet barely planted themselves on the first box. There were still four more to go. Swiftly yet surely, he continued to hop across, managing to dodge the countless fish that rose out of the water to try and eat him. Eventually, he crossed the waters, a newfound sense of pride within him. "I'm such a badass!" he exclaimed, dashing onwards and deeper into the mystery of the frozen city. His travels soon lead him to a rugged door, one he easily busted down by kicking. Doing so revealed yet another room completely dipped in the cold grasp of frost. There seemed to be no end to the frozen city...at least, that's what it seemed to be like. Sonic's curiosity forced him to examine every object that could still be touched, such as jars, pots, and even a couple cases. There were still items that could be taken back without turning into nothing but liquid. One of the items that caught most of his attention was a small diary of a young woman, who seemed to live in this city long, long ago. Hesitantly, he began to open the book, and his eyes were able to make out most of what the text was saying to him.

"King Allen," Sonic began quoting, "The secrets we have searched for have all been revealed to me, the great Solomon! Yes, the treasures that await thee lie deep within the hidden valley of the snow, buried within the frozen grasp of thine gods. If thou hast chosen to enter those sacred, dangerous grounds, proceed with naught but two men and travel through the blistering cold of hell's embrace, and travel farther north. This is the only direction the ancient scriptures hath revealed to me, my lord. They speak the ancient words of our founders...and they tell of a treasure worthy enough to crown eleven kings! Yes, such riches shall be ours, my lord, as swiftly as we prepare for..." He couldn't make out what the rest of the words said. They were either smudged with fossilized drops of blood or just plain withered. Whatever the case, the diary puzzled Sonic. "A treasure enough to crown eleven kings..." His arm cupped the hand that was on his chin. "That's a lot of treasure...Something that precious couldn't be somewhere like this...could it?"

Sonic's search began to take him through more of the enclosed area, and eventually, he came across another door, one that was already spread open from something before. This door seemed to lead outside, and when he ventured to the outside area, he was all but surprised to see himself in yet another enclosed area. It wasn't a cave, but rather, it was a surrounding amount of snow that caved in. He traveled further in, and found himself up against a wooden door, one that was poorly crafted. However, it wasn't he who ended up busting it down; large fragments of rocks broke it down before tumbling hundreds of feet below. Sonic was immediately shocked, and he hurried outside to see the commotion. His eyes widened as he witnessed a massive avalanche tumbling down towards him. "HOLY SHIT!" His head began turning to look for some kind of way to escape, and he came across a conveniently placed snowboard, one that looked relatively new. It was his only hope to survive and escape from the avalanche, and damn it, he was ready to take it. His legs launched him onto the snowboard, and he kicked off and into the fields of snow below.

It was a matter of life or death that brought Sonic to this predicament. The tumbling snow of the avalanche began to hiss louder and grow closer to him. He managed to pick up some speed by cutting close corners and doing stunts off of cliffs and down below into some kind of cave for a sense of safety...only to lose it whenever he emerged from the cave to find the snow and rocks closer than they were before. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, DAMN, DAMN!" He had to gain more speed, or else he would join the city of ice as a frozen popsicle. Time was running short, until Sonic saw a way to escape the avalanche. It was risky, though; he would have to gain just enough momentum and speed and launch off of the cliff he was approaching, and land safely on the ledge far ahead of it. If he gained enough of what he needed, then he would come out safe and escape from the tumbling iminent death. If he failed, then...well, you get the idea. "It all boils down to this!" he shouted as he prepared for the jump. Picking up both speed and momentum, Sonic was ready to launch off and hit the goal. Centimeters were the distance between him and death, and right before the avalanche closed in, he jumped off the cliff, and to his surprise, he managed to land safely on the northern ledge, completely evading the ice that threatened to kill him only moments ago. His breath was heavy and hard, but his heart was also thumping like crazy. His face lit with a cocky grin. "Hell yeah!" he shouted. "I keep telling you people: I'm a badass!"

Sonic was surprised to see himself in an area similar to that of the contents of the diary he read earlier. There were ancient engravings on the walls of the secluded cave, and the door was even rusty enough to open. Entering through the door, his feet moved him further into the closed-off area. Inside, he could see a light flashing from up ahead, and as he got closer to it, it grew bigger and more familiar. Finally, he came to a royal burial chamber, and as such, it was littered with the coffins of past kings. They were obviously the kings of the people that lived in that frozen city, for their designs and engravings were all identical. The green chaos emerald shined brightly from atop a shrine within the burial chamber, and that was all Sonic needed to see. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "Now, we have another chaos emerald!" His right hand grabbed the emerald, and his legs bolted him out of the forgotten chamber and back outside, where he could regroup with Tails and find their way back home.

As Sonic managed to backtrack through the entire frozen city, he regrouped with Tails with the emerald in hand. "Amazing!" Tails exclaimed. "Sonic, you really did it!" Sonic's cheeks turned a little red. "Of course!" he played. "What'd you expect? Now, we have another chaos emerald! That makes four that we know about right now." The two friends turned to cross over the bridge once again, but before they got too far out of the cave, Tails felt the urge to stop Sonic and request some answers. "Tell me, Sonic..." he began to ask. "You said it was really awesome in there...What all did you see?" Sonic couldn't even begin to explain the wonders and amazing things that he witnessed through his travels in the forgotten city of ice. Still, he tried with what he could. "I'm not sure..." he said. "I mean, I started off in this frozen city, made my way to what looked like another part of the city, and somehow ended up in an ancient burial chamber. That's where I found the chaos emerald."

"Fascinating..." Tails was truly baffled by what his friend explained. "So...a forgotten city frozen completely in ice...Sounds interesting. Perhaps one day, we can come back and explore it more thoroughly." Sonic nodded and smiled, and the two friends continued on their way, hoping to find another chaos emerald to keep away from the evil that wanted them. It would appear that our heroes were prepared to save the exploration of the mysterious frozen city for a later date, when their world was not on the brink of destruction. 


	27. Chapter 27

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 27 Fight For My Own Way!

Dashing through the cave and back to where they once were before, the two heroes finally made their way outside into the humid embrace of the shining sun, sitting comfortably in the sapphire sky. They had just found another chaos emerald, and they were determined to hang onto it this time. Their feet moved them quickly over to the waterfall near the mine cart to the other half of the Mystic Ruins, but surprisingly, Knuckles was standing before them, waiting for their arrival. Sonic's face lit with a relieved grin. "Hey, Knuckles!" His hand tried to give him a friendly tap on the shoulder, but before he managed to even step within three feet of the red-haired teen, his body quickly turned around to strike him with his right fist, which Sonic immediately caught onto and dodged, leaping back and wiping off his left cheek. "What the hell is your problem?" he demanded. But the enraged boy didn't even reply; his left hand reached into his pocket, and it pulled out his Star Carrier for battle. "I won't let you get away with that chaos emerald!" Knuckles was ready for battle, but Sonic and Tails still remained as confused and frustrated as they were before. "What the hell is going on?" demanded Tails. "Knuckles! Snap out of it!"

Once again, the redhead failed to comply or even reply. His next action was a furious charge at the blue-haired teen, who had already prepared himself for battle by transmitting with his own SC. Knuckles' right arm quickly morphed into a GoldAxe chip, and it slammed hard where Sonic once stood, since he managed to easily evade such a slow attack. A cocky grin lit across his face as he jumped over his mind-clouded friend. "Gonna have to do better than that!" he laughed as he cut Knuckles' back with a Cybersword. Damaged, the redhead quickly turned around to retaliate with a move of his own. So, he swiftly entered three chips in a designated order: BronzeAxe, SilverAxe, and GoldAxe, causing the three chips to shine brightly and form into another Program Advance. "SigmaAxe!" he shouted as his arm formed into a gargantuan axe, one that seemed to shape colors periodically. Still, Knuckles didn't prepare such a magnificent attack for show; he was determined to defeat his opponent, no matter what the cost.

"You crazy little shit!" played a surprisingly cheerful Sonic. "You're gonna end up getting hurt!" His legs bolted him behind his raged friend, who had just landed the axe right where Sonic used to stand, causing a huge dent in the earth. Sonic's right arm quickly formed into a Longsword, and it swiped right at Knuckles in a horizontal approach, sending the redhead into the air and causing him to fall painfully on his back. He struggled to recover and get back on his feet, but above all odds, he still managed to. "I won't...give up!" He was determined, all right; a scorching blaze was in his eyes, one that Sonic had never seen before. It was as if he was possessed by some higher power...But Knuckles? No, that's impossible. Someone like Knuckles would be the LAST person to fall for something like that. But if that wasn't the answer, then what was? Why was Knuckles trying to hurt his friend? It seemed that his intent was even...fatal!

Still, Sonic didn't have all the time in the world to ponder the thought. With a few seconds to recharge, his right hand reached into his pocket, pulling out a powerful chip that would take some time and skill to use correctly. "This is my big chance to test this out..." he said, almost as a whisper. "Here goes somethin'!" He inserted the chip, but nothing visually seemed to happen. He just stood there, as if he was simply waiting for Knuckles to strike with something powerful. "You're dead!" he exclaimed, preparing yet another GoldAxe chip and charging straight for his opponent. Within a matter of seconds, Knuckles was already within five steps of his opponent, and yet...no movement whatsoever. Sonic didn't even flinch. "If you're not gonna move, that's fine!" shouted Knuckles. "Just makes it easier for me!" But before Knuckles even rose his arm to attempt to hit Sonic, he suddenly stopped. But it wasn't like he wanted to stop...he was somehow forced to. Perhaps it was the fact that he was almost instantly struck in every joint of his body by some kind of unknown force!

"Arrrrgh!" Knuckles fell straight to the ground, unable to move. He was in immense pain, so much that he didn't even have an ounce of energy left to fight it back. Sonic had caused such a scene to occur, and it was all thanks to the chip he installed. "...Slasher!" he finally declared. "Quite possibly one of my strongest chips. It's not the strongest out there, but it packs one hell of a punch when you're trying to counter!" The two rivals had exited the Cyberworld, Knuckles only enduring cuts and scratches. Even though Sonic believed that he had won, his opponent suddenly lunged to his feet and beat him to the ground, managing to reach into his pocket for the chaos emerald and stealing it, then jumping off of him to escape. Sonic immediately sprung back to his feet and he shouted, "You sneaky little shit! Get back here!" His legs dashed off to chase after Knuckles, Tails following shortly behind.

Eventually, Knuckles came to a pause before Tails' workshop. He turned to face his friends, who were only a few feet within distance of him. "Sonic, I can't allow you to destroy the Master Emerald!"

Sonic shrugged his shoulders. "Uhh...the what?"

"What? The Master Emerald!"

"I...still don't follow you..."

"You mean...you never even KNEW about the-"

His thought was interrupted by an electric dart lodging itself into the back of his left leg, causing him to fall to the ground and feel an intense shock. "Aaaaahhh!" he screamed in extreme pain before passing out. Just as the energetic redhead fell to the ground, his two friends immediately bolted to him to investigate. Sonic had held Knuckles' head with his hand as he examined him. "Knuckles! Can you hear me?"

No response. "Damn it, Knuckles! Answer me!"

A sudden burst of maniacal laughter came from the distance. "He can't hear you, boy. Might as well give it up!"

A mechanical arm lunged itself over to Knuckles, grabbing him and taking it back to the laughing man. Robotnik had once again captured a friend of Sonic's, and just like before, he stole the Chaos Emerald that Knuckles had...also stolen. "Now, I have four lovely emeralds!" His free hand slowly rose into the air, forming a pointer finger. "Chaos! Come have your lunch!" Suddenly, the seemingly indestructible creature emerged from the ground, and it seemed to beg for the emerald. Robotnik did not hesitate to throw it to Chaos, who swiftly absorbed it and became stronger. His body had formed into that of some kind of gargantuan liquid shark, one with fatal-looking fins and claws. If you think that's intimidating, then you should see the fangs he possesses when he roars!

"Yes! He continues to grow stronger by the emerald!" Robotnik analyzed. "Soon, my dreams will be all but realized!"

Sonic could feel a light clench on his jacket. "Sonic..." A faint voice echoed into his ears as he looked down. "Knuckles! Hey, buddy..."

His breath was very short, and he didn't have a lot of energy to speak. "Robotnik's...gonna...use the Master Emerald..."

"Huh? To do what? What IS the Master Emerald?"

"No...time..."

Knuckles could feel himself fading, until Tails dashed over to assist. "Recovery300!" A glowing aura surrounded the hothead, and within moments, he could feel life coming back into him. "I'm...alive?"

"Of course!" grinned Sonic. "We're not gonna leave you hangin'!"

Tails interjected. "But we don't really have time to celebrate! We've got a monster to stop!"

To his surprise, Knuckles stood back on his feet, readying a battle chip. "Hey, Sonic, you up for a little competition?"

The blue blur smiled. "Hell yeah! Last one in's a rotten egg!"

Knuckles grinned. "That'll be YOU this time!" The two friends bolted towards Chaos 4, ready to finish this fight.

Chaos didn't hesitate to attack, shooting balls of liquid at the heroes, which they very carefully dodged. The creature latched out a monstrous claw towards Knuckles, but Sonic dashed over to him with a battle chip ready. "Slasher!" Sonic quickly cut the claw from Chaos' body and continued to run towards the monster with his friend. Suddenly, a liquid barrier formed around the beast, and it seemed to protect it from its opponents. As Sonic and Knuckles attempted to strike down the aura, they found that their attacks were utterly pointless. The damage they inflicted was all reduced to nothing. Unleashing a mighty roar, Chaos threw the fighters off his shield, but they managed to recover in midair and land firmly on their feet.

"Sonic!" shouted Knuckles, turning to face his friend. "What the hell're we gonna do? We can't break that shield!"

"We're gonna have to try! It's all or nothin', Knuckles!" He started to think fast about a way to defeat Chaos. Would a Program Advance be enough? No, not to defeat it...but maybe break the shield. Still, what then? LifeSword wouldn't get the job done...so what WOULD? Suddenly, he remembered his newfound power, and decided that now was as perfect a time as any to try it out. He began to channel what energy he had left, and soon, there was a surrounding aura of it circling him. He could feel everything around him somehow open to his senses. "FullSynchro!"

Within a split second afterwards, the aura disappeared, and Sonic dashed even faster than before towards Chaos. Unfortunately for the creature, its attacks were nowhere near fast enough to stop Sonic. He was progressing at a speed he had never before reached, and within what seemed to be a blink of an eye, he prepared the LifeSword and struck the shield, shattering it and returning it to a liquid state. As he landed on his feet, he grinned at the monster. "Don't think I'm done just yet!" He quickly loaded another chip and struck the creature. "ElectroSword!" Managing to strike the creature's membrane, Chaos crumbled into nothing but electrocuted liquid. The creature dissolved into the ground and disappeared, leaving behind Robotnik and his worthy adversaries.

"Damn you, Sonic!" shouted an infuriated Robotnik. "I won't have you ruining my plans any longer!" He pulled out a kind of communicator, and with the press of a button, the earth began to tremble beneath their feet. Sonic looked to the skies, only to witness a massive airship consuming its blue depths. It had arrived just as Robotnik commanded. He laughed once again in a maniacal manner. "Behold, my floating masterpiece! The Egg Carrier!" Within moments, Robotnik beamed himself up to the ship, escaping the scene without Chaos. Still, he knew that Chaos was alive...and so did Sonic and friends. He released himself from FullSynchro, draining himself of whatever energy he had left. He fell with an exhausted smile to the ground, unconscious. Tails and Knuckles hurried him back to his home in Station Square, hoping that he would be okay. He could feel some energy returning to him, and he opened his eyes. Sonic was on his bed, his body covered with his bed sheets to keep warm. "I'm...back at the house?"

Tails and Knuckles hesitantly barged into the room. The redhead walked over to him, and he held out his right hand. "I'm...sorry." Sonic blinked in confusion, but soon realized what he meant. He clapped his right hand with his, grinning afterwards. "No prob!" Knuckles felt himself smile, and he gave his friend a noogie. They started to play around when Tails felt the need to interrupt. "Now that Robotnik's got an airhsip of his own, what can we do to stop him? It's not like any of us has a plane or anything..."

Knuckles snapped his fingers. "No, but your DAD does!"

"Wait...what?"

"Tails, contact your Dad and ask him to ready a plane for us!"

"What? No way."

"Huh? Why not? Robotnik's gonna get away from us if we don't hurry!"

"My father would never do it. Think of something else."

Sonic slowly sat up from his bed. "Why don't we try and make our own plane?"

Tails sighed. "Do I LOOK like a rocket scientist to you?"

Sonic and Knuckles looked at one another, and they smiled playfully, looking back at Tails and grinning. "Don't answer that."

"Then what other way is there, Tails? We have to find a way to catch Robotnik."

"Oh...Oh..." Tails found himself trapped. Cornered by his best friends. "Oh...fine! I'll call my dad and see what I can do!"

"Thanks, Tails! I'll go get Mina and Amy and tell them to get ready!"

Knuckles dashed out the door and downstairs, exiting Sonic's house and going over to Mina's. Knocking on the door, Ash approached it and greeted him. "Is Mina here?" Ash shook his head slowly. "She is, but...she's resting now. Why? Something you needed?"

"We're gonna get a plane and go in the sky together!"

"You're...what?"

"Oh, sorry. Maybe I need to explain."

"Y-Yeah, maybe you do. SONIC is dating my sister, thank you."

His cheeks turned red. "Gaahh! That's not what I meant! Just...lemme explain!"

"Okay, okay. Come on in."

Within moments, Knuckles had explained the plan to Ash, who did his best to follow along with him. "I see...So, Robotnik's got an airship, and he's using it as a base?"

"Yeah, and if we can get up there, then we can end this fight and stop him from hurting anyone else!"

"I got it...Well, Mina's resting right now. I'll-"

"No, Ash...I'm fine..." Mina's voice came from upstairs. She walked down the stairs slowly to greet her brother and her friend. "Knuckles, how long do we have before the operation?"

"I dunno...Tails still has to-" Before he could finish, his SC began to ring. He had received a voice mail. Opening it, Tails' voice was heard. "Knuckles! I've got it figured out. My dad said he would have the Tornado ready at the airstrip by tomorrow morning! We're gonna need to leave here at around eight tomorrow. Get some rest and prepare before then!"

Mina smiled. "Well...that answers THAT question."

Knuckles scratched the back of his head. "By the way, Mina...is something wrong?"

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"Any reason why you look...I dunno...hurt?"

"Oh...Ash didn't tell you? Robotnik got Amy and I in one of his traps..."

"Say what? That bastard...!"

"He knocked us out cold, and left us there, near the station...But we woke up shortly afterwards and came back home. We figured you boys would have everything settled."

He laughed. "Yeah, well, we did. We're gonna raid the Egg Carrier tomorrow."

"By the way...Where's Sonic?"

"Resting."

"What? Did Robotnik get him, too?"

"No, no, nothing like that! We were attacked by Chaos again, and he took it down by himself."

She giggled happily. "That's my man! I knew he would get him!"

Ash laughed at her enthusiasm. "Yeah, if Sonic can do anything, it's fight. He's a pro at it."

"Well, he DID save the world, you know."

"Yeah...he did."

Knuckles blinked. He lost his train of thought. "Umm...just...uhh...meet at Sonic's house tomorrow at eight! Okay?"

The brother and sister nodded. "We will." Knuckles rushed out the door and over to Sonic's house. Tails was sitting next to Sonic, fiddling with his SC. "I'm contacting Amy and telling her the plans. Eight o' clock tomorrow morning, at Sonic's house."

"Good. That way, we'll have everyone there with us."

Tails rose from his chair, a very serious look on his face. "Knuckles..."

"Yeah?"

"This will be our final battle with Robotnik...I just have that feeling."

"Yeah...you're probably right."

"Are you ready for this? He's got four of the Chaos Emeralds already...and the other three are still out there to be found."

"I know. Maybe we should take the plane and search for them before we go any further?"

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Let's go."

Knuckles clenched his hands into fists and stared at his sleeping friend. "You do all the work for us, my friend...Now, it's our turn to do the work for you."

Tails turned to face Sonic. "We'll be back by tomorrow, Sonic. For now...just rest up." The two friends ran out of the house, grabbing their SC's and making their way to the airstrip. They arrived to ask Tails' father for the Tornado. "Son, the plane's ready. But aren't you supposed to wait until tomorrow?"

"No, Dad. We have to use it now. There are still three Chaos Emeralds out there. We're gonna look for them."

"Oh? Is that right? Where's Sonic?"

"He's at home, resting for tomorrow."

"Not going hunting with you, huh?"

"No, not this time around. Sonic's done so much for us...for his friends...and for the entire world. It's my turn to help him out for a change."

"I understand, son. Take all the time you need."

"Thanks, Dad." Tails grabbed the Emerald radar and hopped into the Tornado with Knuckles, ready to pilot it and start the search. As the gates opened to reveal the strip, the Tornado began to gain power and speed, and it staggered across the strip and eventually flew high into the air. They were off, and they were ready to find the three emeralds they needed. It didn't take them very long; soon, they were in possession of the three remaining emeralds. As the plane landed back safely at the strip, Tails' father greeted them once again. "Oh? Six hours, and you're back with three emeralds? Incredible."

"Yeah..." Tails held the shining emeralds in his hands, staring into their resonating glow. "Sonic's always doing his best for us...I thought it was time for us to do the same for him."

His father placed his right hand on Tails' shoulder, and he smiled. "I'm proud of you, son."

He smiled back at his father. "Thanks, Dad."

Knuckles grinned. "Well, since we have the three emeralds, don't you think we oughta get some rest? We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah...I know." He smiled at his father once again. "Thanks for the plane, Dad. We'll all see you tomorrow."

"Be careful, son. I'll see you later."

The two friends returned home, going to their own houses and resting for the night. But not Tails. His head was too busy circling with thoughts. Through all of this time, he's been depending on Sonic to help him win his battles. All through school, Sonic and Tails were friends, and Sonic always had to stand up for him, even back when they were just little kids. He would recall all of the times he was being bullied for his lunch money or for his new toys and games, but it was always Sonic who would stand up for him. Always. He felt as if he lacked the ability to fight for himself. He always feels safer when Sonic's around, sure, but he doesn't want to feel completely attached to him. Even though they're best friends...why does he lack that strength? The strength to fight his own battles?

"Sonic...You've always been there for me. Through thick and thin...everything we've been through together...you've always helped me out." He stared down at his SC, remembering the moments of glory and power during their final battle with Metal Sonic. "You've always had that strength...the strength to stand and fight for everything you believed in...But not me." The final blow during the fight with Metal Sonic would flash continuously in his mind. It was one of his favorite moments with Sonic, where he demonstrated such an inhuman level of power and the determination he had to save the ones he cared for. "Sonic..." He glanced over at his desk, which is where he had set the three emerald datas so he wouldn't forget them in the morning. He dawned a serious facial expression as he looked at them. "It's my turn..." He turned back to face his head forward, and he gazed up at the roof. His hands formed into fists, and he felt his grip tighten.

"It's my turn...to be there...for you! 


	28. Chapter 28

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 28 Clash of the Titans

Eight in the morning...the time had finally come. Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Mina were all sitting in Sonic's upstairs bedroom, waiting for him to awaken. They had tried everything from alarm noises, ringing pots, and even letting Knuckles sing. Now, it was time for a physical approach. Mina smiled widely, and she jumped onto Sonic and positioned herself with her legs to his sides of him. Within moments, he was awake, his green orbs staring into hers. He smiled at the sight of her. "Mornin'."

She giggled at him. "Morning." He rose up to hug her, and she returned the hug. She relased him as he fell back down, turning his head to see that all of his friends were there. In his room. Without him knowing. HIS HOUSE. "What're you all doing here?" He was a little oblivious to the fact that Mina was still on top of him. Knuckles laughed. "Guess you're a hard sleeper, huh? Pack up, Sonic. We're going to the Egg Carrier!"

"What? The Egg Carrier? How?"

Amy giggled. "By plane! How else?"

"Well, yeah, I kinda figured that much, but...how're we gonna get a plane?"

He turned his head to face Mina. "Tails already talked to his Dad about it. We're borrowing the newest Tornado model!"

"Oh...Cool."

"Yeah! We're all going together." She hopped off of him and onto her feet, standing next to Knuckles and Tails. Knuckles saw that Tails had something on his mind, since he hadn't spoken this entire time. "But first, a word from our captain." He pointed to Tails, who snapped back into reality and saw that all eyes were on him. He cleared his throat.

"Yes, well...as you all know, Robotnik has taken to the skies with his new creature, Chaos. We're going to take the Tornado and confront him...and settle all of this. But...I have something else I want to say. Rather, I have thanks to give."

Sonic blinked, for Tails stared directly at him when he said "thank." "Huh...?"

He walked over to Sonic, and he reached out his hand for Sonic to shake. "Sonic...none of this would have been possible without your efforts."

He pointed a finger at himself. "M...Me?"

"Yes...you. Sonic, in the time we've been friends, you've helped me through so much. I can never repay you for all you've done for me. That's why...I'm happy to fight alongside you in the heat of this final battle!"

Knuckles nodded with a grin, and he stepped forward. "Yeah! Same goes for me! You're always the one who helps us out...Now, it's OUR turn to risk everything for YOU!"

He could feel tears coming. Well, no, not really, but he was overwhelmed. "Guys..."

Amy stepped forward with a grin. "You're always so nice and sweet to me, even though sometimes, I go out of my way to cause trouble to you...That's why I wanna repay your kindness! I'm going to fight for you and everyone else...just like you always do! I can't fight for everyone in the world...but I can help YOU do that!"

"Amy..."

Mina's turn. "Ever since you met me, you've been nothing but kind and gentle to me. True, through some times we've had, you've scared the hell out of me...But you always come back to me, no matter what happens. I don't wanna lose you...or anyone else here. That's why...I'll fight to the last! It's our turn to give it our all for you!"

"Mina...Everyone..." He stared at his friends, his mouth hung open with a smile. "Thanks...You guys are awesome." He lunged out of his bed and onto his feet, his usual attire still on his body. "Let's all go together! For the sake of the entire world...and to put an end to all of this Chaos nonsense!" They all nodded, and everyone but Sonic and Mina rushed out the door and exited the house. Sonic had stopped Mina from doing so because he tugged on her arm. "Mina..."

She looked over at him with a smile. "Mm-hmm?"

She was caught off-guard by a sensation on her lips. Sonic had kissed her, placing his hands on her cheeks. She returned the kiss with her hands on his cheeks. When they broke apart, Mina reached into her bag and pulled out some clothes. "Ash told me to give these to you."

He gave her a puzzled look. "Your brother? What for?"

"He said that you're the only boyfriend I've had that he respects."

"Oh...Well, that's good."

"He made me a promise a few years ago. He said that when the day finally comes when I find a man he respects himself, he'll give that guy the traditional garments."

"Traditional garments?" He lifted them up from his bed and into his hands. "This is just...a sleeveless black shirt with black jeans...and a ring belt."

"It belonged to our dad..."

"What...?" He hesitated before he put the clothes back down. "They'll fit me, but...I don't wanna take something so precious from you..."

She shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. I think you'll look very dashing in them."

He grinned at her. "'Dashing?'"

She blushed. "Hey, it's the only thing I could think of!"

He laughed. "Well, okay, I'll try 'em on. No peeking, now."

She giggled before giving him a quick kiss. "I'll try not to." She walked out of the room and shut the door, leaving him to do his changing. "All right, then..." He stared at the clothes for a few seconds before actually trying them on. "Yeah...These look like they'll fit me."

All of Sonic's friends were waiting outside for him, until he finally came downstairs with a bag over his shoulder in his new outfit. Amy blinked in shock, as did Mina. "You look great in those!" The two girls had said it at the same time, setting off some jealousy sparks between them. Tails and Knuckles didn't see the point in getting involved. "Sonic, are you ready? There may be no turning back after this point..."

He clenched his hand into a fist. "Yep! I'm all set! Let's finish this!"

The group of friends hurried to the airstrip, where they all met Tails' father and prepared for their liftoff. With the plane ready for takeoff, and all of their things set in the back of the plane, they were off, dashing down the airstrip and off into the sky. They had begun searching for the Egg Carrier when...

"Hey! Sonic! What the hell're you doing?"

Even he didn't exactly know how to explain it. He was climbing over his friends and onto the roof of the plane. He didn't really see any problem with it, but...

"Sonic! If you love me as much as you say you do, then you will get your ass back down here and sit in your god damn seat!" Mina...not so much.

Knuckles sighed. "Just let 'im be, Mina. He'll be okay...I hope."

Sonic's body was filled with a sudden urge. He hastily knocked on the roof, demanding for the attention of the pilot. "Tails! Make a right!"

"What? Why?"

"The Egg Carrier...I can feel it!"

"Really? Okay! We're there!" Tails shifted the plane to make a very sharp right, sending the others flying out of their seats and Sonic almost losing his balance on the top of the plane. They all managed to recover, but Mina still wasn't convinced. "Sonic, please! Come back to your-" But before she could finish, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Sonic, who pushed his face forward to kiss her. As he broke apart, he winked at her. "Relax, babe. I've got this!" He then returned to the roof of the plane. That helped a little...perhaps. She was still worried sick, even though she knew that she couldn't talk him off of the roof. It wasn't long before they witnessed the mechanical monstrosity before their very eyes; the Egg Carrier was dead ahead!

"Wow...Looks like Sonic was right! Okay, everyone! Hang on tight; I'm going in for a landing!" Tails maneuvered through the surrounding clouds, hovering ever so close to the magnificent ship in front of them. They were only a few feet away from the ship, but Sonic didn't see the reason to stand by and wait. Summoning up all of the courage he possessed, he lunged from the roof of the plane and onto the Egg Carrier itself. The only thing he could hear in the distance was "Are you fucking crazy?" Probably coming from the one he loved ever so much. He turned back to face his friends, who were still within the Tornado.

"You guys go ahead and find a place to land!" The wind was brushing through his clothes madly. It was hard to keep a still position. "I'm going in!" His arms pulled him to the top of the ship, since he had landed on the bottom leg. As he managed to climb to the top, he witnessed as his friends flew high above his current position. They went the opposite direction, flying to find a way in from the other side. He witnessed Mina blow him a kiss as they flew away, a worried look written all over her gorgeous face. He grinned as he watched them go by, and he gestured his hand as if he was catching the kiss she blew him. "Be safe, you guys." His feet dashed him to the ship's hold, and he used the nearby elevator to go inside.

As he entered the insides of the Egg Carrier, he witnessed numerous robots dashing and zipping through the hold, cleaning items in their hands. It would seem that these robots were on constant janitorial duty, not that he really cared. He was only concerned with finding Robotnik. He turned to see a trio of steel doors behind him, each one shut tight. There was a switch next to each door, and you only had to press it to gain entry to the corresponding room. Sonic was about to press the second switch, when he started to hear the echoes of a crying animal. "What...?" He placed his head on the cold steel of the door, hoping to get a more thorough opinion on what was crying. Still, to his dismay, he couldn't figure out just what was in so much pain. He decided to open the door and check it out, discovering that it was a creature he had never before seen in his life.

Sonic was shocked to see a small, oddly-shaped creature before his feet. It had a baby-belly body and short, thick arms and feet. Even more surprisingly, it had little wings, as well as a yellow-shaded ball atop its head. "What's this thing...?" He got down on his knees to pick the creature up, and as he did, he noticed that its crying came to a halt. The creature stared into his eyes, and after a few seconds, it smiled widely and started to cheer. Sonic couldn't help but laugh at its sudden mood swings. "Hey there, little guy! What're you doin' in a place like this?" The creature only responded with poking his nose, which made him laugh. "Easy, buddy!" It was a puzzling thing, and he had no idea as to what it could possibly be. "You're really somethin', kiddo..." He placed the creature back down and turned around to walk out of the room, but before he got the chance to, the creature tugged on his pant leg and gestured for him to pick it up. He scratched the back of his head and grinned. "I dunno, buddy...I've gotta meet my friends on the other side of the ship...But..."

Before he said anything else, the creature began to flap its small, fragile wings. It began to fly at level with Sonic's eyes. He was rather impressed; it seemed that it really wanted to be with Sonic. "That's pretty cool!" He stared at the creature, and he smiled. "Okay, okay, I give. You can come with me." The creature clapped and cheered with joy. They ran out of the room together, turning to go another direction. The creature began to gesture Sonic in another direction, telling him to go the other way. At first, he was a little hesitant, but he complied. It turned out, after obeying the creature's gestures, he discovered the elevator to the other side of the ship. Taking the elevator, he was taken back to the deck, but on the other side.

He felt the ferocity of the wind had picked up immensely, blowing through his clothes and through the wings of the small creature. Sonic quickly grabbed the creature and placed him firmly in his arms. "Don't worry, kiddo. I'm not gonna let you get blown away." He slowly walked forward to see if anything had changed; still, his friends were nowhere to be found. The only things he saw were the colossal parts to this giant ship, as well as what seemed to be a central system. It was higher up, so as of this moment, he couldn't access that area. Sonic took the nearby elevator to the next area above him, and he discovered that he could reach the highest area with the help of the nearby elevator. Taking the elevator, he ran across the conveyor belt and into the center of the ship.

Upon arriving to the central area, Sonic came to a sudden stop when he saw Robotnik and Chaos. Robotnik had subdued his friends, who were all damaged from the crash. Robotnik had gained the other three emeralds for Chaos, and all seemed lost. "You fools really thought you could stop me? Bah! Insolent little children! Now, I will show you the infinite power of Chaos! With the last three emeralds, he will become invincible! And he will work...for ME!" As he lifted his arms into the air, which also had the emeralds in their hands, Sonic dashed across the stage and swiftly knocked out one of the emerald datas. The data tumbled down from the ship and somewhere in the distant abyss below them, landing somewhere in the world. "I don't think so!"

Robotnik immediately retaliated by throwing the other two emerald data at Chaos, who absorbed the entirety of both of them. The creature had once again mutated into something truly horriyfing. There wasn't even any logic behind this transformation; just some incomplete monstrosity. It possessed an enormous scorpion's tail, six ominous, glowing peridot eyes, and a series of spider claws with fangs sharp enough to pierce through just about any substance. The creature released a violent roar, the magnitude of which crushed the surrounding parts of the Egg Carrier and began to destroy it. Chaos had reached an indescribable level of power, but even so, Sonic was still determined to finish the fight. "You don't scare me, you big drip!" Activating his SC, he readied the LifeSword for a mighty blow. Jumping into the air, the creature attempted to stop him, but Sonic managed to maneuever past its claws and shots of water and strike the creature right on the membrane between the six eyes it harbored. Even so, the creature reformed moments after.

"This thing's membrane's gotten way too strong! What am I supposed to do now?" Before Sonic could think of anything else, he felt the pain of Chaos' scorpion tail smacking him straight across the face and sending him plummeting into a nearby wall. That single attack contained so much strength, so how was he supposed to stop it alone? Luckily, he wasn't alone; his friends suddenly began to jump into the action. "GoldAxe!" A direct hit from Knuckles. "M-Cannon!" One from Tails. "HeartHammer!" Smackdown from Amy. "IvorySpinner!" Triple attack from Mina. Chaos didn't seem to be damaged, but it really was in pain; it was not invincible. Amy threw a Recovery100 chip on Sonic, healing his wounds and restoring his strength. All four friends surrounded him as if they were shielding him. "Sonic! Can you still fight?"

"Yeah, Tails! It didn't hurt THAT bad!" He grinned at his friend, who chuckled back at him. They all readied another round of chips for the attack, but surprisingly, Robotnik was nowhere to be found. It would seem that he fled the scene before anything else happened to his ship; he knew that this battle would more than likely result in the destruction of his precious aircraft. As their attacks landed direct blows on the creature, it didn't really seem to make much of a difference; it wasn't staggering from any assault. Through the heat of the battle, Sonic's eyes caught glimpse of the creature he found earlier throwing some kind of device at Chaos. It was one of Robotnik's creations, and surprisingly, as it hit Chaos, the creature froze completely. Literally, frozen solid; its liquid body became a solid, and what's better, unable to move. Sonic stared at the creature with a surprised look, and he grinned while giving him a thumbs up. "We owe you one, amigo!" Sonic once again prepared a LifeSword and dashed towards the creature, landing a direct blow and shattering its frozen body, causing its membrane to once again shatter and its entire body to dissolve. Chaos had once again been defeated, but this was definitely not the last of it; no doubt it would go off searching for the seventh emerald.

As things began to settle down, the group approached the creature, who was more than excited to meet them. "Aww!" said Mina. "It's so cute!"

Tails was just staring with his mouth open. "Not only that, but...it's a Chao!"

Knuckles shrugged his shoulders. "What's that?"

"Chao are mysterious creatures that apparently died out years ago. They have the power to transform into the ones they show the most affection for, as well as gain their abilities."

"Oh! That sounds useful!" She poked the Chao's belly, causing it to laugh adorably. "Well, regardless of what they're here for, this little guy helped us beat Chaos!"

"Yep. He sure did." Sonic lowered his hand for the Chao, and they high-fived. "That was awesome, little man!"

Tails began to ponder thoughts on the Chao. "It seems that the Chao has found a liking for Sonic. Perhaps we should take him with us for now."

Knuckles interjected. "Tails, are you sure about this? I mean, yeah, I know he saved us and all, but...he's just a little kid."

"How do you know he's just a kid, Knuckles?"

"Well...he LOOKS like a baby Chao, but..."

"You have to remember, Knuckles: Chao mature and age much faster than humans do. They turn one year old every three months."

Mina seemed fascinated. "That's pretty cool! What else?"

Tails didn't really want to burst her bubble, but he had to tell them. "Chao die...when they hit age ten."

"What? That means they only live for thirty months! That's not fair!"

"I know, and that's why I'm going to look for a way to lenghten his growth pattern like a humans when we get back to my house."

"Really? Thanks a lot, Tails!" Sonic gave him a noogie and released his friend. "Now, let's get off of this ship. I'm sick of seeing so much sky."

Suddenly, the ship began to rumble and shake violently. Tails dashed to the side of the ship and took a look down, and ran back to his friends. "Guys! This ship's losing altitude! We have to find a way to get off, right now!"

"Tails! What happened to the Tornado?"

"Robotnik shot it down using Chaos' power. We can't use that to get off the ship!"

"Damn!"

The Chao gestured to the right, revealing an escape pod. Tails snapped his fingers. "We can definitely use this!" As they all ran towards the escape pod, the Chao tugged on Sonic's shirt and gestured him to go back. "What? We can't go back! Why would you-" The Chao gestured so that it explained that some of its friends were still in the ship. They couldn't leave without rescuing them first. It took Sonic all of five seconds to piece it all together and decide to help. Mina caught Sonic going backwards. "Sonic! Wait! Where are you going?"

"There are still some Chao on this ship! I'm gonna go save them! You guys go on ahead without me!" He took the Chao by his side and handed him over to Mina, and gave her a kiss. Breaking away from her lips, he gazed into her eyes and pet the Chao in her arms. "Make sure he gets home safely! And all of you do the same!"

"Sonic! Please, reconsider!"

"I can't! The little guy's too damn persuasive!"

"But...Okay...Just promise me you'll come back home!"

"Don't worry. I promise!"

She gave him a very passionate kiss, and she broke away from him. "I love you!"

He grinned at her. "I love you, too!" He shut the door to the escape pod and locked it, signaling to Tails to engage it. As he did, the pod began to tumble downwards to the world below. It was up to Sonic to find the Chao and get out alive. He bolted back towards the elevator and hurried back inside. Retracking his footsteps to the three doors, he started to bang on the middle one. "Is anyone in there? Gimme a sign!" He started to hear the sounds of Chao coming from inside. "That's all I needed to hear!" He pressed the switch and opened the door, seeing that a group of Chao were locked behind a prison cell. "Hang on, guys! I'm gonna get you out!" He began to fiddle with the lock, and finally, it shattered, opening the prison door. The Chao flew out and back onto the deck. Sonic made sure they got into an escape pod and fastened them inside of it. The ship could barely last another minute. It was so close to absolute destruction, and Sonic still thought it necessary to give the Chao the last remaining escape pod.

But even so, he didn't regret his choice. He never did when it came to another's safety.

The ship began to fall to the world below, slamming forcefully into the massive sea. The water flowed in every direction possible, consuming parts of the land nearby. Everything within the distance of the water's tide was swallowed by it, breaking off some parts of land while only having minor effects on other parts. The ship seemed to settle itself in the middle of the ocean, immobile and unactive. Sonic had been flung to a nearby landscape, which luckily turned out to be the Mystic Ruins. He was still unconscious, consumed in his dreams.

He dreamed that he was approaching a shrine, which was also set ablaze and surrounded by an old man and a healthy platoon of guards. In front of them stood a girl that looked like Knuckles, except her hair was orange and she wore tribal clothing. "What's going on here...?" He felt himself approach the shrine faster, and he stopped right before the old man and the guards.

"Tikal! Stand aside!"

She stretched her arms outwards, adamant on forbidding them passage. "No! I won't let you! This shrine is sacred to our people!"

"Silence, child! You do not understand the power of the Chaos Emeralds...They are what we require to win this war!"

"I don't care! I won't obey!"

"You are still too young to understand..." He gestured his hand forward to signal an assault. The guards pushed her aside and entered the shrine, the old man following them. Sonic dashed over to the girl and to her side, helping her back on her feet. "Hey, you okay?"

"I...Oh...What...?"

"AHH! It's a monster!" The guards were terrified to see the sight of a liquid being, who absorbed the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds next to the Master Emerald and became a monster of untold power. With one single swoop, the creature had killed every last guard as well as the chief. Tikal and Sonic stared over at the shrine as the creature vanished, and she ran up the stairs to it and over to the Master Emerald. Sonic followed shortly after. But as soon as he approached her, she began to chant:

"The servers are the seven Chaos chaos is power, enriched by the heart The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos"

She gasped. Sonic could feel his consciousness slowly returning.

Sonic awoke to find himself near the Mystic Ruins. He leapt to his feet and began to take in his surroundings. "The Mystic Ruins...? I was sent this far?" Suddenly, his eye caught Robotnik in his flying machine moving towards an unknown part of the forest. He silently began to follow him until he stopped at a mechanical door. As soon as Robotnik went through it, Sonic followed shortly afterwards. It took him to the small fortress off in the distance. As soon as Sonic arrived at the fortress, he was greeted with a pitch-black room. "Oh, crap..." That's all he could say before the lights flashed on, revealing an enormous machine in front of him. The mechanical menace was created to represent a massive snake, and it surely boasted enough size to make it intimidating. Spikes practically littered the aquisition, all in which were sharp enough to cause bleeding by merely touching their tip. Robotnik was positioned in the center of the machine. "Good to see you're as stubborn as ever, Robotnik!"

"Silence! This is where it all ends, Sonic! Chaos has already found the last emerald, and your friends still think you're dead! I've lost the Egg Carrier, but I can at least kill you here!" Sonic just now realized something very crucial. "What the hell? I'm only standing on a single row of platforms? This sucks!" He looked around to see that there was only one more row of platforms besides the one he was on; if they were crushed or if they disappeared, then he would have nowhere else to go and plummet into the abyss below him. Robotnik was hellbent on ending this struggle. He readied his machine for battle, and Sonic broke out his SC and activated it. "Let's dance!"

Robotnik began by firing numerous missiles at Sonic, which all seemed to be homing. He was lucky enough to dodge most of them, and he used a simple CyberSword to deal with the rest. But before he got a chance to fully recover from the attack, Robotnik had already begun to prepare a massive energy ray to fire at his opponent. "It's no use! Give up!" Sonic had to move fast, but then again, that wasn't much of a problem for him, was it? But what WAS an issue was figuring out how to get to the cockpit; if he could get there, then he could get Robotnik and end this fight directly. Just as he began to wonder, the viper's tail stretched out in a straightforward way, revealing three power spheres on its tail. They were part of how the machine even worked, and he figured that he could jump on them. As his feet dashed him towards his enemy, he tested his theory, revealing that it worked. He struck the machine's core with an ElectroSword, and quickly jumped off of it. But before he jumped, Sonic noticed that the machine's core consisted of three slots. Every hit took away one slot. "One down...two to go!"

But even though he had already taken damage, Robotnik got serious. He began to destroy parts of the platforms, giving Sonic less and less space to move around in. He prepared for another energy charge, which Sonic found the perfect time to ready another chip and attack. Landing another successful blow, he leapt off of the machine and watched as it began to crumble. But Robotnik was determined to kill his enemy, and so, he crushed all but one platform so he could finally win. He then moved the two circular blades on the side of the viper to attack. Sonic was ready for a final attack, and he readied one last LongSword for it. As the blades lunged forward to hit Sonic, he carefully launched onto one of them and waited for it to return to Robotnik. When it did, he grinned at him, who stared at his opponent in horror. "Better luck next time!" He struck the core one last time, ending the viper's chances of victory. The machine was completely totalled. As Sonic lunged off of the machine, it began to wildly spin out of control around the area. Robotnik was trying to aim it towards the last platform, where Sonic had no choice but to stand. As the end loomed even closer, Sonic felt a mystical light surround him, and it seemed to lift him up into the air. As the Egg Viper plummeted onto the last platform and crushed it, Sonic watched as the machine tumbled down into the abyss.

"Guess that's the last we'll be seeing of him..." The light flew Sonic over to a nearby ledge, so he could catch his breath and relax for a moment. Sonic thought for sure that he recognized the light, but he knew that he'd never seen it before. "You just...feel so familiar..." He slowly got back onto his feet and ran out of the facility, hoping to find his friends and reunite.

Meanwhile, in Station Square, Knuckles and Tails were facing one of Robotnik's other sinister creations, the Egg Walker. As the name described, the machine possessed four giant legs, which could crush anything under them. The machine was automatic, and so, it used attacks without the orders from its master. They weren't exactly having trouble fighting it, though. Tails ducked under the machine and used an M-Cannon on its injured foot. Every time the Egg Walker would stomp on the ground, one of its feet would be injured or fractured, revealing a weak spot. After a while, they had managed to destroy the Egg Walker. The people of Station Square who were around them began to cheer loudly and honor them as heroes. The two friends pounded fists.

"That was great, Tails!"

"You were awesome, Knuckles!"

"Too bad Sonic's not here to-" He stopped before he finished his sentence. He remembered that Sonic had died in the crash of the Egg Carrier. "Sorry, bud..."

"It's...fine, Knuckles. Let's just clean up here, okay?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."

Over by the airstrip, Mina and Amy were fighting ZERO, another one of Robotnik's creations. The machine wasn't hard at all, so they ended up destroying it within a few moments. Using a few IvorySpinner chips and a couple HeartHammer chips, they managed to take the menace down and destroy it. But perhaps that's not what was the real menace here. Amy tried to approach Mina, but she just turned away, trying to hide tears of sorrow that were preparing to come out of her eyes.

"Mina...you don't have to fight if you don't want to..."

"Amy...I...I have to...He'd want me to fight on and finish this battle..."

"I understand. Just...don't overexert yourself."

"I know...I know..." But she couldn't hold it any longer. Amy approached her and held her in a hug, and soon afterwards, she bursted into tears of sorrow. He had promised her he would come back alive...but he didn't. At least, not to their knowledge. The Chao he saved were all happily awaiting him back at his house, but in a way, Mina felt that it was their fault he died. Of course, she would never admit it, but the Chao he saved first believed that's how she really felt. So, it would always stay away from Mina when she tried to say hello. She knew that it was hurting from the loss, too, but at least the Chao had hope that Sonic was coming back. Mina didn't...She had an empty hole in her heart, one that would never recover. They remained at the airstrip for the next ten minutes, waiting out Mina's tears.

Suddenly, an ominous, evil haze began to consume the entire city, and within moments, the sewers were exploding all across it, flooding the streets with water and killing innocent people in the process. Tails and Knuckles swiftly jumped to the top of a nearby car, and then onto a high road. They were safe for now, but they had to evacuate the other people, and so, they began to gather everyone up to higher grounds. As the water continued to flow ruthlessly through the streets of Station Square, Mina and Amy soon found their friends and reunited, aiding them in getting the citizens to higher grounds. Ash soon met with them as well, and they were all together. Scourge and Fiona were already helping in the effort, as were Silver, Blaze, and the entire staff of Official Netbattlers. The Chao had hovered back over to the group of friends, and they all watched helplessly as a tall, proud building near them suddenly crumbled to nothing. The group of friends had all of their fears horrors confirmed as they witnessed a massive liquid monster with the head of a vicious dragon shape from the limitless supply of water below them. The creature boasted mighty tentacles and a fearsome glare, and its eyes were as of a reptile's; bloodthirsty and fatal. As the creature roared, the buildings themselves were lowered with that level of magnitude. Soon, the entire city was destroyed, reduced to nothing but mere ashes and rubble of its previous glory.

Tails, among everyone else, was absolutely terrified. "Chaos! He's gathered all seven emeralds!"

"Does that mean...he's immortal?" exclaimed a worried Knuckles.

"Impossible! If that's true...then...there's nothing we can do to stop it!"

They feared that this was truly the end. The end of all that they had worked so hard to protect. The end of their city, the end of their home, but worst of all...the end of their lives. But as they all entered a world of dread and despair, the blast from an M-Cannon was seen shooting Chaos straight in the face. Chaos staggered for a moment, but then recovered to see whom was responsible for the sudden attack. "Heeey! Down here!" The creature's eyes lowered themselves to see the attacker, who was none other than Sonic.

"S...Sonic!" cheered Mina.

"Sonic's alive!" shouted Tails.

Every last person in Station Square began to cheer, with no signs of stopping. They knew that Sonic would find a way to defeat Chaos. He glanced up to see his friends-all of them-waving and cheering for him. He grinned back at them and waved. "Hiya!" As he turned back to look at Chaos, he slowly pulled out the seven Chaos Emerald data, which were obviously drained of energy. "This is it, Tikal..." He lifted all seven of the emerald data into the air. "Just one chance...to set things right!" The data suddenly began to flicker, and within seconds, they all shattered, transforming into actual crystals instead of just bits of data. Now, they were the true Chaos Emeralds, and Sonic could feel the energy within them had easily doubled in power. "Okay..." He closed his eyes, hoping to channel some of their energy into his body. His SC activated automatically, and within moments, his entire body began to flash, each time a different color. The emeralds were gathering before him, lending him some of their power to defeat Chaos in this final battle.

As the shining came to a halt, everyone stared in awe as they witnessed what had just happened. Sonic's entire body was consumed in a yellow aura, and his hair was spiked up and colored yellow, as well. He could feel an amazing power circle through his body, one that could give him a chance to defeat Chaos. He stared down with the creature, and their fight was about to ensue. He jumped down to meet the base of the creature, and he looked back up and into its eyes. The creature released yet another earthshaking roar, which didn't even phase Sonic. He simply smiled and got into position. "This is it, big drip." He clenched his hands into fists, channeling more and more energy. His aura became even more fierce. "I'm not holding back, now!" The aura reached a point where it practically spat energy. "This is it! I'm ending this fight, right here, right now!"

Finally, after so long, the final battle was about to take place! 


	29. Chapter 29

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 29 The 30,000 Year War

The skies were consumed with a gray atmosphere, rain suddenly beginning to pour down onto the decrepit, obliterated city. Sonic had prepared himself for this final battle, and it was time to settle it all. He began to dash to the sides of the mighty Chaos, who attempted to strike him by causing impenetrable twisters of water to attack him. They seemed to home in on the hero, but even so, he managed to maneuver away from every single one. "Is that all you got?" He dashed even faster towards the beast, who was preparing to unleash some kind of energetic blast from its mouth. As it released the blast, Sonic barely managed to dodge it, but even so, he was soon pegged by a numerous amount of energy darts that were the color of blood. As they pierced through his skin, he could feel the stings one after the other. It hurt, to say the least. "Damn!" He got back on his feet and dashed towards the monster once again, this time finding a way to damage it. As he drew closer to the beast, he noticed the creature's only weakness: the membrane. It was atop its skull, and if he was going to get anywhere, he would have to strike it. Right as he ran into the creature, he discovered that he could freely maneuver inside of it. "That's it!" He backtracked to gain more speed, and as soon as he was fast enough, he leapt into the beast, but instead of going straight ahead, he jumped high into its skull and dashed straight out of its skull, damaging the membrane.

Chaos began to crumble to pieces like always, but since there was a plentitude of water around, the monster reformed itself on the other side of the city. Sonic had discovered the one formula to victory: by picking up enough speed, he could jump into Chaos' membrane and strike it from the inside. This was the only way he could win; it didn't seem like a lot of work, but it was. "Let's give it another go!" He could feel his blood being pumped even faster than before, and he felt a new sense of inner strength. He jumped back down from the street he had landed on and began to dash across the water once again, determined to defeat his foe. This time, the spikes Chaos unleashed from its sides attacked Sonic at a much faster rate, and they seemed to inflict more damage, as well. Still, he managed to dodge them all, and once again, he dashed into the creature and jumped to the membrane, striking it and dashing straight out of it. Chaos once again crumbled to nothing but water, and once again, it reformed on the other side of the city. This seemed a little repetitive to the hero, but he didn't care; not if it was the only way to win.

Sonic began his next dash the same way as before, picking up just enough speed to dash through his enemy. The eyes of Station Square were all glued on him, watching as he dashed repeatedly through the city and damaged the almighty monster. His friends were all cheering for him, giving him more courage and strength to defeat Chaos. Mina, amongst everyone else, was just relieved that he was still alive. She couldn't be happier than she was to see him again. "Go, Sonic! Go!" It was as if though he actually heard her cheering; he felt himself going faster and faster right after she said such words. But the only other thing he was paying attention to was the rapid beating of his heart, which grew as he once again approached his enemy. Maneuvering through the rough tides of the water and making his way into the creature once more, he sprinted to the beast's skull once more and struck the membrane, once again causing Chaos to dissolve.

But for a while, Chaos refused to reform itself. Sonic simply stood as he awaited the retaliation of his enemy. He knew that after gaining the power of all seven Chaos Emeralds-even only as data-Chaos was far more powerful than this. It turned out, he was right. Moments after everyone had fallen silent, Chaos once again reformed itself, but this time, just its mere resurrection brought forth blistering tidal waves and uncontrollable, raging storms of rain to flood even more of the decrepit city. Chaos was, to the dismay of Station Square, gaining power. Now, it unleashed its attacks stronger and faster than ever before, and Sonic would have to be especially careful if he planned to even get near the creature. He dashed straight for it, barely dodging the onslaughts it fired at him. Spears that were sharper and more accurate than the ones before, larger, faster twisters of water, and even the ability to rapidly fire an energy blast from its mouth...and Sonic knew that this was just the beginning.

Going on the absolute offensive, Sonic managed to pick up more speed than he needed and dash straight into Chaos once more, striking its membrane and causing it to dissolve. But that wasn't enough, of course; the creature reformed itself once again on the other side of the city, eager to prove that it was truly a creature of immortality. Sonic was unable to accept this, and so, one more charge of speed was his answer to his enemy's resurrection. As he approached Chaos once again, he dashed straight through it, once again striking the membrane. And just as he expected, Chaos once again reformed on the other side of the city. He knew that, unfortunately, he was getting nowhere with this, and every time he landed a direct hit on the monster, it would only gain more power and become more fierce, until it didn't even need to reform itself after every blow; it could destroy anything by mere touch. "I have to think of something different...!" He clenched his hands into fists, and he could feel the aura surrounding him grow larger and brighter, filling him with even more power. He once again dashed straight for the beast, this time completely ignorant to the fact that he had far more than enough speed to dash through it. But that was probably because he had a new plan: he was going to do his best to destroy the membrane itself rather than strike it.

As Sonic bolted for Chaos at an inhuman level of speed, he dashed straight through the creature before it could even acknowledge him doing so. But instead of the usual routine, Sonic prepared the LifeSword and it materialized on his right arm. "Suck on this!" The sword lowered and stabbed straight into the membrane, and it remained there for as long as Sonic could hold it. Chaos, the God of Destructuion himself, began to scream out in pain and anguish, and blood began to splatter from the destroyed membrane. Sonic glanced down at the necklace he had received from Mina when he was in the hospital, and he remembered its latent power. He placed his left hand on the necklace, and with a mere wish, the LifeSword doubled in power! The membrane itself no longer existed! Chaos, the menace of Station Square, had finally been defeated! The creature began to dissolve one last time, until finally, a large explosion from the destroyed membrane completely annihilated its chances of revival. Sonic had landed safely on his feet a few yards away, a smile lit across his face as he witnessed the destruction of his enemy. He lifted his hand in a thumbs up sign, and he grinned. "Game over!"

All of Station Square began to cheer uncontrollably, shouting their hero's name over and over in a chant, and throwing whistles and yells from all over. Mina could wait no longer to see her boyfriend, and so, she leapt from the building she was in and dashed over to Sonic. "Sonic!" His body turned to face the direction of the voice, and he smiled widely to see that it was Mina. She ran right into him, tumbling them down to the ground, laughing. "I'm so happy you're okay!" He rose to his feet, and offered his hand to Mina, putting her back on hers. But to his surprise, after a few moments of respite, she slapped him across the face, leaving behind a red hand mark. "What was THAT for?" he demanded.

"That's for scaring the shit out of me!" she yelled.

He blinked in confusion. But he managed to smile afterwards. "I'm sorry, Mina."

He could see a single tear fall from her eye. "Just...don't ever do that again!"

He held her tightly as she forced back her tears. "I promise. I won't scare you anymore."

She found comfort in his words, and she smiled while in his arms. "I love you."

He laughed slightly, his voice sounding a little deeper than usual. "I love you, too."

But their happiness was not to last. Moments after they had reunited, the entire earth began to shake with a ferocious magnitude. The water engulfing the ruins of the city began to rise in pillars, and eventually, they formed a massive monument in the shape of Chaos' head. But perhaps the most horrifying thing witnessed was that it actually turned into a solid, forming into a bloody, fractured version of chaos' head. The top where the skull was looked oddly enough like a throne room of sorts, and it was large enough for more than just a king to exist within it. After the throne was formed, a massive pillar of water suddenly emerged only feet away from where Sonic and Mina stood, and it began to materialize on top of the skull. What became solid was an ominous creature, one with seven spiked tentacles formed of liquid sprouting from its back. Its body was draped in a ceremonial robe, one that only an ancient lord or king would be caught wearing. Various markings of the Chaos Emeralds were seen on the robe, signaling that this could only mean trouble for Sonic. As the creature's head began to form, both Sonic and Mina were shocked as to see what it had become; the creature dawned a face similar to Sonic's! The only difference was that its body was completely blue, and its eyes were of the same peridot as Chaos.

The creature bestowed an evil, sinister grin, one that spread through its entire face. It began to laugh maniacally. "I guess not even a hero could hope to defeat the God of Destruction!"

Sonic clenched his hands into fists. "Chaos?"

Mina shook her head rapidly. "No way! It...It can talk?"

His voice echoed through the destroyed city. "Come, my friend! Join me once more in the heat of battle! I will admit that I've not had this much entertainment in more than 30,000 years!"

Sonic slowly released Mina and stepped forward, only to be pulled back by her arm. "Hold on! Let's get everyone to help out!"

He shook his head. "No. I have to do this alone."

"No, Sonic! What if something happens? You could...you could die!"

"I know. But it's a risk I have to take...for everyone."

"You're so stupid! Why? Why do you always have to act tough?" She began to cry.

He turned to face her again, and he hugged her tightly, refusing to let up. "I'm sorry, Mina. If I take you guys in there with me...all of you will probably die."

"What...?"

"Chaos is way too powerful now for anyone but me. Even I have help; I'm using the power of the Chaos Emeralds."

"But so is Chaos! How do you plan on stopping him?"

"I don't know...But I'll think of something. I have to." He released her and turned back around, but he was once again stopped by the sound of her voice.

"Wait!" She paused. "Just promise me this time...for real...That you'll come back alive."

He laughed slightly. "Of course. I promise." He jumped high into the air and off of the street, running along the water and scaling up to the throne where Chaos awaited him.

As he arrived to the top, Sonic witnessed Chaos sitting rather impatiently in his throne. He smurked at his enemy. "What, no hero's greeting? How boring."

Chaos' face lit with an evil grin, and he slowly rose from his seat. "Marvelous! Simply marvelous!"

"What? What is?"

"You, Sonic! Oh, how I've longed for such a sensation...the thrill to destroy and conquer over all! That is what chaos truly is...the destruction of all things living!"

"That's enough out of you!" He began to power himself up, his aura glowing rapidly and growing bigger.

"Oh-ho! So, do I get your FULL potential this time?" He laughed at the hero as if mocking him.

He smiled back at his enemy, and he readied his battle chips for the upcoming showdown.

"Absolutely." 


	30. Chapter 30

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 30 Open Your Heart

An intense atmosphere began to surround the two opponents. It was the final battle, the one between the hero of the entire world, and the God of Destruction. Only one would prevail through the heat of war, and only one would walk away alive. Chaos had the entire world at his mercy, where as Sonic had the weight of the world as his burden. If he were to fall to Chaos now, then that would mean the end of humanity. The end of life as they all knew it. He would NOT be having that; he still had so much left to live for, as did all of his friends and the people of Station Square...and the rest of the world. It all came down to this final battle; the battle that would forever be remembered as the day the fate of the world hung in the balance. Lan and Hub had once again found a way to broadcast this showdown to the entire world, getting the entire world to once again cheer and chant for Sonic's victory. Mina had returned to her friends, and they all watched as the two enemies prepared for their battle. "Good luck..." That was all she-or anyone else-could say. Luck was the only thing left for him to use during this final confrontation; if not luck, then nothing else.

"Die!" Chaos leapt high into the air, preparing the seven tentacles on his back for an assault. They began to fire beams of solar energy at Sonic, who maneuvered his way through the blasts rather gracefully, managing to dodge them all. But before he got the chance to plan his own attack, Chaos somehow warped back down to Sonic and smacked him with a hastily prepared AquaSword chip. As he flew into the air from the attack, he managed to prepare a weapon of his own, and he recovered just quick enough to strike back. "ElectroSword!" As the blade struck Chaos, his entire body began to emit sparks, which in turn caused him more pain. Sonic didn't take a moment to breathe; he readied another attack. "M-Cannon!" The blast from the chip caused a mighty explosion, which coincided with the damaging sparks surrounding him and caused even more injury. As the dust cleared, Sonic once again readied another chip for an assault. "FireSword!" But right as the blade struck Chaos, he lifted his arm and planted a strong, firm guard to block the attack. But that didn't stop Sonic; he had prepared for something like this to happen, and so, he inserted a program into his SC. "Reversal!" As he mentioned the program, he somehow teleported behind Chaos and stabbed straight through him with the sword, inflicting damage and causing a slight burn to his body. With the sword still stuck inside of him, Sonic found enough time to prepare another chip. "O-Arrow!" As his left hand formed into an arrow, he fired it directly into Chaos' back, which caused a massive explosion along with the fiery remnants of the sword.

Chaos was taking some pretty heavy damage, but even so, he didn't falter. He had readied yet another assault with his seven tentacles, and after trying once again to strike his opponent with them, he warped right in front of him and readied yet another AquaSword. "Fool!" As he struck Sonic, he was baffled by the fact that his body dematerialized. "What?" As he looked up, he felt the sharp sting from a large shuriken stab straight into his torso. Sonic planted himself firmly on the ground and grinned at his opponent. "AntiDamage!" He then readied another chip for use. "ElectroTower!" Since Chaos was a little on edge and didn't have the incentive to move, the tower managed to tumble directly into him, landing a direct blow. Chaos was temporarily stunned by the electric chip, and so, Sonic found it the perfect time to prepare yet another attack. He prepared to enter a Shotgun, CrossGun, and Spreader in that order, and when he did, the chips began to flash, signaling the discovery of yet another Program Advance. "All right!" He aimed his hand at his opponent, and as he did, his right arm suddenly formed into a massive, colossal bazooka-shaped gun. "BusterBlast!" As he shouted the name of the PA, an enormous burst of energy exited from the tip of the weapon, and it shot directly at Chaos, landing yet another direct blow.

"You...insolent...pest!" It was obvious that the God of Destruction was losing his temper. He decided now would be the best time to get serious, and so, he prepared for another attack from his enemy. As Sonic readied his chips, he went back on the offensive. "CyberSword!" But right as the blade struck Chaos, it shattered. Chaos' body began to flash in the same color of his skin, and he began to laugh slightly. His laughter hastily started picking up, until after about ten seconds, his entire body exploded, Sonic being right next to him and landing a direct hit. Sonic was sent flying backwards and into the wall of the throne room, his body littered with scars and bruises. As he slid down the wall, he managed to stand back on his feet, only to see that Chaos was nowhere to be seen. His pulse was weak; he could feel that himself. His vision was, for lack of a better word, blurry. Actually, destroyed would be a better choice of words. He could still see, but only through blurred flashes. He could barely hear anything; the rushing waters below him could only be heard as mild ruffles. It would seem that a single attack from Chaos caused so much pain, he knew himself that he couldn't take another attack like that. And, to his horror, he witnessed the said God slowly reform before him, his face lit with that same sinister grin as before.

"Aww...How pitiful. And here I thought you would pose as more of a challenge." He slowly began to walk over to Sonic, the length of his grin growing with every few steps. Sonic was, of course, powerless to stop him from proceeding; hell, he was barely conscious to even move. He crawled up against the wall of the throne room, the one that was covered with the trail of blood from his previous sliding. He fell to the ground, one of his eyes shut from the pain. His breath was light, since he couldn't afford to have a heavy one. As Chaos approached the teenager, his right hand cupped his chin. He laughed slightly at the sight of his enemy. "How perfectly poetic. You say you have the strength to save everyone, yet here you are...powerless and weak, staring death right in the eyes." He lifted Sonic while merely using his right hand, and he had firmly gripped his neck in his grasp. Sonic could feel himself slipping even further into death, and his breathing turned into agonizing cries for relief. Chaos laughed at his anguish. "Aww, what's wrong? Feeling stupid for ever challening me? Well, you SHOULD!"

As soon as he spoke the last word in his sentence, Chaos launched Sonic into the other wall of his throne room, causing a massive cloud of dust to form and part of the wall to crumble on top of him. He was standing on his feet, but shortly after he could be seen through the thickness of rubble, he fell back down, but not before Chaos warped over to him and stabbed him straight through his chest with a crystallized tentacle. Sonic was pinned against the wall, blood exuding from his torso. Some even slid down from his mouth, which hung open as he begged for oxygen. Chaos' grin was stretched as far as his face would go, and he laughed maniacally at the sight of his dying foe. "This is just perfect! I love to see that anguish on your face!"

He stared into the eyes of his enemy. (What should I do...? I don't have enough strength to fight him...) He could feel the power of Super Sonic slowly fading away from him. Chaos found this an incredibly humorous sight.

"Oh! Now you're nothing before me! Nothing but a crushed fly! The power of the Chaos Emeralds has left you, Sonic...YOU HAVE NOTHING LEFT!" He swiftly removed the sharpened crystal tentacle from his enemy's torso, but instead of giving him time to breathe, he readied all seven of his tentacles, and they all turned into sharpened blades of crystal, each one rapidly piercing through Sonic's chest, stabbing him numerous times. Blood practically engulfed the tips of the crystals, and there was barely any left in Sonic's body, if any at all after that horrible experience. As Chaos halted stabbing his enemy to death, he grabbed the end of his shirt and barely tossed him into the center of the throne room, where his cold, lifeless body was sent to lay. "You bore me." He slowly walked back over to the near-death hero, and he saw that no signs of life were left in him. Sonic was actually dead this time. Not even for a moment or two...he was gone.

As the eyes of the world watched the death of their hero, numerous people began to scream in terror and burst into tears of sorrow. Back at Station Square, it was no different, especially for his closest friends. Mina was unable to even think of controlling herself; she was crying uncontrollably, and she did so as Tails tried his best to comfort her, holding her close in his grasp. Amy was doing the same, but she was being held by Knuckles. The entire city-no, the entire world-thought that this was the end. Sonic was dead; there was no one left to stop Chaos. The Officials knew that even if they all combined from every corner of the planet, they still couldn't take him down. Chaos had won, and the world would soon be reduced to nothing but rubble. Chaos turned to face the people of Station Square, and he began to prepare for an announcement.

"Hear me now, wretched humans! This is what happens to all of those who dare to oppose me! I am the new creator...I am the new God of this pathetic world! I will destroy everything that you see before you with an unstoppable might! All living things will be crushed under my hand!"

But for some reason, Sonic could still hear Chaos' words; he wasn't actually dead, but he felt extremely close to its doorstep. He couldn't even feel himself breathing anymore, it was that bad. (Am I...dead?) His eyes slowly began to shut, and as they did, he found himself in a completely blank world, one that was nothing but white. He found himself floating in midair, and as he began to look around, he witnessed a small orb of light begin to circle him. "Oh...it's you..." He touched the orb, and it gave him a warm, glowing feeling. "You're the one that brought me the emeralds...the one that saved me when I fought Robotnik..." He stared almost blankly at the orb as it began to shine brighter. "You're...Tikal..."

The orb left Sonic's hand, and it stood right before him, emitting a blinding flash and turning into the young Tikal. "Sonic, the people of your world need you. You must defeat Chaos."

"But...I don't know how. He's too powerful...even for me."

"I know he is. He's the God of Destruction."

"Yeah, well...Tikal, surely there's something you can do to help me?"

"Yes...there is. But it's incredibly risky."

"What is it? I'll do anything to stop him!"

"You would have to use my power. But before you agree, know this: with my power fused with yours, together we can defeat Chaos."

"We can? For sure?"

"Yes. For sure."

"Well, then what're we waiting for? Let's do this!"

"Hold on, Sonic. I...haven't told you the bad news, yet."

He blinked. "There's...bad news?"

"Yes...Should you choose to use my power, you will lose your entire consciousness."

"Meaning...what, exactly?"

"Meaning...you will lose all memories of your life. You will no longer be a living mortal being."

"I'll...lose my memories...?"

"No, Sonic...you will lose YOU."

He hesitated to speak any further than that. "I'll lose...me? Everything? All that I know...All the things I've fought for...my friends...the woman I love...everything?"

"Yes...Everything."

He scrunched his face into a struggled expression. "I...I don't know...I want to save this world, but...not if I can't live in it as my own conscience!"

"It's up to you, Sonic. But remember: should you refuse, Chaos will destroy everything. The lives of all living beings on the planet will be lost, and everything will die...Is that what you want?"

He shook his head, his eyes still closed. "No. No, it's not."

"Then choose wisely; you don't have much time before Chaos puts his plans into action."

"I...I..." He clenched his hands into fists, and he shot his gaze right at Tikal. "Fine! I'll do it! Gimme what you've got!"

"Are you certain...? There's no going back..."

"If I die here, then the world's doomed, anyways! So yeah! I'm sure!"

"Very well..." She reached out her hand for him to take, and as he did, he felt a newfound colossal power surge within him. It was far greater than that of even Super Sonic's power, and speaking of which, he had fully recovered that strength as soon as Tikal gave him her power. "This is...incredible!"

"As long as you use my power, you will remain conscious of your surroundings. But as soon as Chaos is defeated, you will lose everything...I'm sorry, Sonic."

He shook his head with a smile. "It's fine...just stitch me up real quick so I can get back up and fight!"

She giggled slightly. "Very well." As Sonic began to fade out of the dream, he swore that he could hear Tikal's last parting words echo through his mind: "Good luck."

Back in reality, Sonic's body slowly began to rise back on its feet, which somehow shocked Chaos, the God of Destruction. "Im...possible! How are you still standing?" Sonic's body began to emanate with a mighty silver aura, and his hair once again spiked up to symbolize that he was in Super Sonic mode. The entire city-and the world-felt a wave of relief as soon as he rose to his feet. "Sonic's alive!" Numerous people were heard shouting. Cheers from all over the world were pouring into him, and they were giving him more and more reason to fight on. He grinned at his stunned enemy. "Miss me? Hope I wasn't gone long."

"You...What ARE you?"

"Oh, just your average teenage hero...but as for this newfound power of mine..."

"What?" He began to charge his energy into a massive, colossal blast, much like the final battle with Metal Sonic. "I'm through playing games with you, boy!" He lifted his arm into the air, and within moments, he began to charge up a gargantuan orb of pure energy; it was already big enough to completely total Station Square. "DIE!" But Sonic seemed ready for it, and he even made a stance as if he was ready to block the attack with his bare hands. Just as he assumed the stance, Chaos caught a glimpse of Tikal standing right next to him. "It can't be...!"

Her voice echoed through the throne room. "Chaos! You may be the God of Destruction...but as your eternal love, I must stop you from destroying these people!"

"My love! Tikal! Why have you sided with this human? He is nothing but filth, just like the rest of them! Why?"

"Because I feel the sense of love and justice within this boy. He is no different than us, Chaos! He loves and feels pain just as we Gods and Goddesses do!"

"No! I will not stop now! If you are unable to aid me, Tikal...then I will have to kill you, as well!" He lowered his arm as to complete his attack. "SAY GOODBYE!"

"No, Chaos...you will not win!" Sonic braced himself for the attack, and right as he felt it land on his hands, he could already feel the immense pain. "Damn!" His body began to rapidly gain new cuts and scratches just by touching this energy, but as soon as Tikal placed her hands on his and aided him, he felt it was okay. He knew that this was the end of the fight. "SUPER...SONIC..."

"I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL YOU ARE ALL NOTHING BEFORE ME!"

"BOOM!" As he shouted the final word, the energy Chaos had lunged forward suddenly bounced back at him, but this time, it was also filled with the energy from Super Sonic's final attack. As the energy plummeted towards Chaos, he could feel his entire body begin to disintegrate, the pain soon becoming too much to bear. He began to shriek and scream in absolute pain...and terror. He had no reason to suspect that Tikal, of all people, would rise against him and aid the humans he so hated in this final confrontation. As the impact from the attack took its toll, the entire throne room-and the monument of Perfect Chaos-swiftly began to crumble until it was nothing but shards of broken ice. The ice cracked, turning into what felt like a gentle rain upon the people of Station Square. Everyone began to cheer even harder than they were previously, and even Sonic's friends joined in the cheering. After the gigantic burst of energy, and finally, after a long, grueling final battle, Sonic and Tikal had emerged victorious.

As Super Sonic descended to the ground with the help of Tikal, his friends bolted over to his side. Mina was, obviously, overjoyed to see him not only alive, but practically good as new, despite his torso being stabbed repeatedly and the previous attacks leaving cuts on his body. Of course, they were still there, but the pain and stings they bestowed had vanished. She hugged him, latching onto him and not even dreaming of letting go. As they all congratulated Sonic and praised the gods that he made it out alive, their celebrations came to a pause as they watched Tikal walk slowly over to the other side of the destroyed street. Chaos, the God of Destruction, laid there, motionless and powerless. As she approached him, she kneeled down to his side and placed her hand over his torso. She wasn't healing him, but yet...what WAS she doing? "Hey, Tikal...what's going on?"

"Chaos...his mind has been completely consumed by the rage of his partner...this Robotnik man."

"Robotnik...? He's the one that made Chaos like this?"

"Yes. Normally, he is a calm, collective man...I know this because it's part of why I fell in love with him."

"I see...So, I'm guessing that you're trying to release him?"

"Trying?" She giggled. "I already have."

Chaos slowly returned to his senses, and the first thing he witnessed was the woman he loved right before his eyes. "Tikal? Is that you...my love?"

She took his hand and placed it on her cheek. "Yes, my dear. It's me...Tikal."

A cheerful smile lit across his face. "Oh, such a wondrous day this is...Finally, after 30,000 years, I am reunited with you!"

"Yes, Chaos...I am here for you, now. We can finally leave this world together."

As Chaos rose to his feet, he took her hand and turned to face Sonic and gang. "Sonic...was it? I can't possibly excuse what I've done to you...and to these people."

He shook his head with a smile. "It's fine. But I DO have one request."

He turned his head to face Tikal, and he smiled, turning back to face Sonic. "Anything."

"Restore the city back to normal, and bring back everyone that died because of what you did when you were blinded by power."

He nodded. "As you wish." With the simple clap of his hands, the city slowly began to reform itself, and the people who were drowned upon the coming of Perfect Chaos, along with everyone that had died in this entire incident, was returned to the world. They had been given a second chance at life. And so, Sonic had decided to give Chaos a second chance of his own.

"I know that, even after reviving the fallen and restoring peace to the world...I cannot be excused for what I've done."

But to his surprise, Sonic walked over to him and reached out a hand for him to shake. He grinned at the god. "Everyone deserves a second chance. Even gods and goddesses."

At first, he glanced at his hand, and then, he smiled, looking back up at the hero. He shook his hand and laughed slightly. "Thank you...Sonic."

He winked. "It's what I do!"

Tails found it necessary to jump in. "So, umm...Tikal, was it? Are you a goddess, then?"

She nodded at the boy's interest. "Yes, Tails. I am a goddess, one that is charged with watching over the Chao."

"The Chao? Why them?"

Chaos stepped forward. "The Chao are my offspring. They hold part of me inside of them. That's what makes them so special."

"So, wait...that world they all live in...is it...heaven?"

Tikal shook her head. "No, no, Chaos and I have given them their own world to live in. It is a parallel world that exists as a shadow to yours." She walked over to Tails and opened his hand, placing a small key into it. "Use this key on any door in the world, and it will take you to the Chao World."

"Wow! Thank you so much, Tikal!"

"Oh, it's the least I could do for all of your efforts."

Sonic stepped forward and in front of Tikal. "Hey, wait a second...remember what you said when you gave me your power?"

"Hmm?"

"Yeah! You said that I would lose myself if I did it...yet, here I am, powered down, and...I don't feel anything different. I mean, yeah, I feel drained, but that's normal after stuff like this!"

She laughed slightly at his confusion. "I simply wanted to see if you would accept my power, Sonic. I gave you the opportunity to take my power and use it to save the world, but I also instilled a sense of sorrow in you by telling you that you would lose your very being in the process."

"So, then...it was a test."

"Correct. And you passed. Even in the face of your own iminent death, you stop at nothing to save the ones you care for."

"Huh...I passed the test..."

Tails laughed. "Yeah! There's a first time for everything, huh?"

He leapt over to Tails and started to give him a noogie. "Hey, hey! Watch it, buddy!"

The group of friends began to talk amongst one another, oblivious to Tikal and Chaos still standing close to them. "This is what I meant back then, Chaos."

"Hmm? About what, Tikal?"

"About the glories of life. Human life."

"Ahh...Yes, I can see that now."

Through the gray-covered skies, the sun was seen shining brightly, and its rays glistened on Tikal and Chaos respectively. The group of friends turned to face them, and they witnessed their bodies starting to glow. "Hey! What's going on with you guys?"

They turned to face the group of teens. "It is time for us to leave this world."

"Leave? But...why? At least stay for some grub or something!"

"Sonic...and all of your friends...be strong. The time will come again when the world requires heroes like you."

"Wait, so, you know what's gonna happen to this world?" asked Tails.

"Yes, we know both present and future. But the past...we do not awaken. Not anymore."

"We are nothing but remnants of the past, now," claimed Chaos. "It is time for us to leave this world behind and return to our desired afterlife as gods."

The seven Chaos Emeralds began to hover in midair, circling Tikal and Chaos. With the mere waving of her arm, she banished them to the corners of the world. "This is for the best, friends. Now, no one shall use their powers for evil."

"Yeah...Thanks, Tikal," said Mina.

As they began to float in midair and ascend their stairway to heaven, Tikal once again looked back down to the group of friends. "The fighting is over, peace is restored...and life goes on." She took Chaos' hand as they continued to ascend. "Farewell, friends. Perhaps someday in the future, we will meet again." Their bodies seemed to vanish into thin air as they approached the clouds. The skies soon afterwards began to clear up, revealing the bright, beautiful blue sky they were always accustomed to seeing. With the city being restored, and the fighting over-for now, anyways-peace was finally restored to Station Square, and the entire world with it.

As Sonic and friends ascended a nearby stairway to the higher floors of the buildings, they were bombarded by the sudden cheers of the people of Station Square. Numerous camera flashes were seen, taking pictures of the heroes and honoring their sacrifices. Sonic's usual group of fangirls crowded the group of teens like they were born to do, until Director Blaze and Silver approached them. This removed any sign of a real crowd. She reached out a hand for Sonic to shake.

"Sonic, congratulations. Through your courageous efforts, you have successfully defeated Chaos, the God of Destruction, and saved the people of Station Square...and the rest of the world. In honor of your brave actions, we offer you a place as a National Official."

"A...National Official?"

"It's an Official that handles missions all over the world," Silver explained.

"Oh...Sounds cool!" He took Blaze's hand and shook it. "I accept!"

The crowd of people began to cheer once more. Amongst their cheering, Mina gave her hero a passionate kiss, which not only got a bunch of whistles and woots, but also made the entire group of fangirls cry and run off. Quite an effective power, don't you agree? He glanced back at his friends and smiled widely.

"Whaddya say we all hit Otherworld BBQ? I'm starvin' over here."

They all laughed and nodded, and with that, everyone but Sonic and Mina began to walk in that direction. She had a smile on her face, and both she and Sonic were gazing up at the sky. They stood side by side, both smiling, both gazing. They had a feeling Chaos and Tikal were watching them, and that's why Sonic felt it necessary to give them a final goodbye. He lifted his hand into the air and made a thumbs-up gesture, and a grin lit across his face.

"All you gotta do...is Open Your Heart!" 


	31. Chapter 31

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 31 A School Trip?

Six months have passed ever since the epic showdown with Chaos, and civilization has once again found a way to pick itself back off of the ground. Things have slowly, yet surely, returned to normal. On the other hand, because of Sonic's wish, everything was restored...his high school included. That's right. School's back up and running. The blue-haired hero was, as to be expected, running late...for the first day of school. Even though it was merely blocks away from his house, this is Sonic we're talking about here; when has he ever been known to be on-time for anything that didn't revolve around "something urgent or important?"

"Dammit!" His legs dashed him down the concrete street and downwards to his school, the clock on his arm ticking away the seconds, signaling that he was only moments away from being tardy. Occasionally, pushing back his shirt, which was blowing from the wind of his running, he would glance down at his watch by lifting up his arm. A few times, this lead to him almost tripping and falling onto the ground in front of God and everyone. Talk about a close call. Or two. Or six. At last, he found himself only steps before the school grounds, telling him that he could finally take a moment to breathe. After a brief respite, he once again dashed towards the school, and wouldn't you know it, only a minute before the bell was scheduled to ring.

"You're late, Sonic." Tails, along with his other friends, had greeted him at their usual-before the school was destroyed-spot. With the exhale of a heavy breath, he grinned at his friend. "Nuh-uh! I've still got a minute left before we start!"

"Well, whatever. So, did you pack for the trip?"

He turned his head to the side, as if looking at an audience, then back to Tails. "There was a trip?"

"You don't remember? There should've been an E-Mail on your SC."

"Uhh..." He glanced down into his pocket, and he swiftly pulled out his SC, staring blankly at the screen. An icon of a letter going into a mailbox was flashing, telling him that he had, indeed, received an e-mail from someone. Instead of poking into the message, he looked back up at Tails with a half-smile.

"Why don't you just tell me what it says?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "So you can save the world from a madman and an ancient god, but you can't even take the time of day to look at your messages? Typical Sonic..."

His cheeks turned red. "Sorry, buddy."

"Well, whatever. We're going to the SSSC."

"Uhh...Tails, did you suddenly catch a stuttering problem?"

He felt a knock on his head, coming from his other friend, Knuckles. "No, dumbass. The Station Square Space Center."

He turned to face his redhead friend. "Ohh...I gotcha. But, why are we going somewhere like that?"

"Because it's supposed to be 'educational,'" played Tails, gesturing quotations in midair with the bending of his fingers.

"The bus is supposed to show up any minute, now. The entire school is going."

As Knuckles would have it, what seemed to be an armada of charter buses slowly pulled into the school zone, awaiting the teachers and instructors to direct the students to their appropriate buses. A handful of teachers aligned themselves up with the buses, and they gestured their hands for students to follow them. As every single student in school started to line up as ordered, they were all ushered onto the buses for the trip. As Sonic finally got onto his assigned bus, he saw a hand waved in the air, one that belonged to the ever-so beatiful Mina.

"Sonic! Over here!"

His entire face lit with a wide smile. "Hey, you!" He walked over to her seat, and she courteously scooted to the side for him to sit down. As he did, she pecked him on the cheek with her lips, and he smiled warmly. He reached down for her hand, and she wholeheartedly took it into hers. As every other student finally got onto the bus and got in their seats, they were off for the space center, which was a two hour drive from the school.

At last, they had arrived at the Station Square Space Center. There were large letters seemingly engraved into the colossal building in the back, reading "SSSC" in big, bold silver. Sonic and Mina steadily disembarked from the bus, meeting up with the others and entering the center with the rest of the class. They all crowded into a giant theater room, where they would no doubt have to suffer a long speech that was obviously concerning the company and what they did, and other various things revolving around space. As the speaker ascended the stand to speak, and after every student and teacher had taken their seats, something unexpected had occured.

Sonic felt a sudden tingle trip down his spine, and as soon as he did, he grabbed Mina's hand and pushed Tails and Knuckles down, which in turn pushed Amy down, as well. They were all on the ground, and within the span of a second, he screamed, "Cover yourselves!" No more than a second afterwards, a massive explosion occured, destroying a massive chunk of the building and obviously sending the entire student body into a state of panic. Even the teachers were flipping out, running around in circles screaming for their lives. Sonic found this the perfect chance to get their attention, and he flipped on his SC and activated a battle chip, firing off a Cannon into the hole of the ceiling. This, of course, caught the eyes of every single person in the room.

"Everyone! Go back to the buses as fast as you can and get outta here! We don't have much time before-"

He couldn't even finish his sentence before they heard another explosion, one that was only a mere few inches away from their current location. He started to wave his hand to the exit. "What're you waiting for? Get moving! NOW!"

Agreeing to obey him, everyone except his friends hastily started to evacuate the building, returning to the buses and doing their best to get on without causing too much of a ruckus. Sonic glanced up into the sky, and as he did, he witnessed a machine flying over them, one he knew all too well. "Robotnik!"

Tails jumped up to meet his friend. "Dammit! That son of a bitch! Sonic, what're we gonna do?"

Sonic turned to face his friends. "Everyone! We're going after Robotnik! Follow me!" He jumped down from his chair and bolted out the door to the central hallways. His friends swiftly followed after him. He ascended a nearby staircase and made his way to the fourth floor, where he and his friends were stopped by a scientist. "What're you kids still doing here? You were all supposed to leave with the rest of the class!"

Mina stepped in front of Sonic. "We're here to stop Robotnik! He's the one who's causing this!"

"What? Robotnik? Damn him! He's gone too far with this whole revenge thing!"

Sonic stepped forward, in front of Mina. "Wait...revenge? For what?"

As the scientist was about to speak, another explosion was heard nearby. He turned back to face the group of friends, and he turned around to start up the stairs. "I'll explain later! For now, follow me! If you're gonna stay here, then you're gonna have to help me!"

"Sounds good!" exclaimed Tails, and they all ran up the stairs along with the man. They finally stopped at the sixth floor, entering a securely-locked room that was completely filled to the brim with various types of data and information. He turned to face the gang with different types of papers and samples in his hands. "I need you all to help me carry these down to the first floor!"

"What?" shouted Mina. "Sir, aren't our lives a LITTLE more important than your research?"

"This data is going to help us find cures for the ultimate, most deadly diseases! If we lose it now, then we'll never find the cure!"

"Incredible!" exclaimed Tails. "To think, you guys have found such a way..."

"I don't care about losing anything else in here! I just need all of this stuff taken to the first floor! It's a long haul, but I can't do it alone! Now let's get moving!"

The group, along with the scientist, began to heave boxes and papers and the like down five flights of stairs, the boxes varying in both size and weight. They barely managed to even do what they did; most of the building was destroyed, and they were lucky that Robotnik hadn't yet seen them as they were coming out of the building and going back up the stairs to retrieve more things. Sonic and Mina had instructed the rest of the group to remain hidden and stay out of the building, and they would go back upstairs to help the man. It was their fifth trip up those horrifying flights of stairs.

"Just the two of you? That's fine! This is the last of it!" The man threw a box and some wrapped papers at Sonic and Mina, and he grabbed whatever he could and bolted back down the stairs with them. The man had gotten ahead of the two teens and readied the door for them, but along the way, Mina had dropped a paper that was wrapped neatly in a rubber band. This caught Sonic's eye, and he swiftly reached down to grab it while still holding everything in place. They barely managed to escape the building before the first floor was trampled by the debris of the second and onward.

With the space center completely devastated, the teens and scientist were merely thankful to have escaped in one piece and alive. They had managed to haul out a very wide supply of data, and with it, they could always start back on their feet when things had calmed back down. He turned to face the group of friends.

"I don't think I can thank you kids enough for helping me. Because of your help, all of this information-all of this data-will help us find a cure for any severe disease. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Sonic gestured a thumbs-up and grinned. "Nah, don't sweat it. We were just happy to help out."

Tails stared at the destroyed building with a frown. "Still...that's a lot of useful data and information just blown away."

Knuckles rubbed the back of his hand. "I can't believe Robotnik just came here to destroy the building...He wasn't after anything particular this time?"

The man shook his head. "I don't know. Honestly, we hadn't heard anything about Robotnik until he began to commit crimes."

Mina snapped her fingers, as if she remembered something. "You still haven't told us the whole story! Why would Robotnik want to come here to get revenge? Revenge for what?"

The scientist turned to face the destroyed facility. "This building...was where Robotnik used to work."

"Say what?" shrieked Sonic.

"Yes. About fifteen years ago, Robotnik was enrolled in our program, but only because of his grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik."

"Wait a second..." paused Mina. "Haven't we heard that name before? At school?"

"It's incredibly possible. Gerald Robotnik was, without a doubt, the greatest scientific genius in the world."

She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "So, he was the smartest man in the world?"

"Correct. He made complex equations and situations seem like a children's game. There was nothing he couldn't solve. Nothing he couldn't accomplish through the means and methods of science."

Sonic interrupted. "So, wait, you said he WAS. Does that mean he's gone?"

"Yes. Gerald was...He died decades ago."

"Then why did you let Robotnik work for you guys if this was so long ago?"

"Even though what happened was unforgiveable, we had no suspections of his grandson, Ivo Robotnik. He was enrolled in the space center fifteen years ago, when he had graduated from a top-class college with absolutely perfect scores. Hundreds-no, thousands of people had signed up for his position, and he was the one who got it."

"Wow...He must be really smart, then..."

"One day, our company had decided to propose new inventions to the President. If the President liked their ideas, he would fund their project so they could create new, useful inventions. Well, Robotnik's inventions were all machines meant for mass war and built for destruction. So, he was kicked out of the space center and his ideas were refused."

"Damn...!"

"That's why he destroyed the space center today. Because he wanted revenge for what happened. He swore he'd get revenge...and I guess he meant what he said."

"So, what happens now?"

"I don't know, to tell you the truth. With the space center in ruins, we'll have to wait until it's rebuilt or until someone tells us to transfer before we go back to work."

"Well, maybe you should go into town for a while. Y'know, lay low, spend time with the family, or just do whatever. You're not goin' back to work for a while, that's for damn sure."

"Yes, you're probably right. I guess I'll just go into town for the time being and stay at home with my wife and daughter. You kids need a lift?"

"Uhh...That'd be nice, sir. Thanks!"

The scientist had lead the teens to his vehicle, parked conveniently far enough from the building site, and they all entered. Driving down to Station Square, Sonic had remembered that paper he picked up on the way down the stairs. Pulling it out from his pocket, he unwrapped it and began to read it. "This is..." His eyes were both glued to and motionless along the paper in front of him. They were research notes...very old research notes. In fact, the paper was nearly illegible; it must have been decades old. He was reading down the lines, avoiding the words he couldn't read or comprehend, while his friends were all talking to the scientist driving them down to town.

Eventually, his green orbs glued themselves to a simple phrase on the bottom line. For a few moments, it didn't seem very important, and he didn't even think about what it meant, but just the way it was phrased caught him off guard and intrigued him. He whispered in response to the words:

"Project...Shadow?" 


	32. Chapter 32

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 32 Project: Shadow

AUTHOR'S NOTE: From now on, the story will be told in Sonic's POV. I will inform you if someone else takes the lead. Thank you.

That paper...That document...The one I found back at the center...What was it? It said something about a project, but most of the words I saw I couldn't understand. Rather, I didn't try to. I'd like to think I understood the part where it said, "Project: Shadow," but even though I know what the words meant, I don't know what they stood for in that sense. I was sitting outside my house waiting for Mina, my eyes skimming over the paper periodically. I had asked Mina to accompany me to SciLab to speak with Yuichiro about all of this, and she replied with words I always hear from her: "As long as I'm hanging out with you, I don't care where we go."

That always made me smile. I can't really explain why; just knowing that she genuinely enjoys my company makes me happy. As I glanced back down at the paper for what had to have been the tenth time, I felt a finger sweep across the paper, taking it out of my grasp and into a hand. I looked up to see the girl in question smiling at me, waving the paper in her hand back and forth as if teasing me. "You're gonna strain your eyes glaring at this paper all the time, Sonic."

I shook my head at her. "Nuh-uh. My eyes are perfectly fine."

She giggled. "But it can always happen, you know."

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

"So, hey, you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's rock." I took her hand, and we started on our way to SciLab. After a half-hour train ride, we arrived at the front of the building, taking a few extra seconds of our day to glance and gawk at how tall and proud it was. Afterwards, we ascended the stairs to enter the building, approaching the front desk to be greeted by a female clerk. "Can I help you kids with something?"

"I'm looking for Yuichiro. Yuichiro Hikari?"

"Ah, yes. Mr. Hikari's office is on the second floor. Do you have an appointment with him?"

"Uhh...not exactly. I just have this really important document, and I need to ask him about it."

"Oh. Well, may I see the document?"

"Sure." I gave the woman the piece of paper, as smudged and decrepit as it was. As her hazel eyes managed about halfway through the paper, they widened, as if scared out of their wits. She dropped the paper and slowly looked back up at me. The look on her face was clear; she was absolutely petrified with fear.

"Where...Where did you get this?"

"Uhh...From the Station Square Space Center."

"Here! Take it back! Dr. Hikari's going to have to deal with it!" She quickly kneeled down to the ground, behind her desk, and she picked up the paper and handed it to me, her arm trembling. I steadily took the paper from her, and as soon as I did, she bolted her arm away from me. She pressed a button to activate the elevator, all without even looking back at the two of us. We hesitantly boarded the elevator and ascended to the second floor. One door to the right upon reaching the second floor, we saw a door with a plaque that read "Yuichiro Hikari" on it in big, bold letters. We approached the door and I grasped the handle, turning it slowly and entering the room.

"Sonic?" Yuichiro turned to face me with a smile. "It's great to see you again! And congratulations on becoming a National Official!"

"Thanks! But, hey, can I ask you to take a look at something for me?"

He scratched his head. "Well, what is it?"

"It's just an old document. Here, have a look." I handed him the paper and he started to look at the smudged text. Before he even read half of it, he pretty much did the exact same thing as the clerk lady did; his eyes widened with fear, and his breath grew heavier and scarce. He glanced back up at me with a painful sneer on his face, as if trying to force back tears of agony.

"S-Sonic...Where did you get this?"

I shrugged my shoulders casually. "At the Station Square Space Center."

"I see..." He was slowly regaining himself. "Sonic, Mina, have a seat. There's something about this we need to discuss."

Both Mina and I took a seat right beside Yuichiro's desk, and he sat in his chair on the opposite side. We placed our arms on the rests on our chairs, and we were all ears for his lecture.

"Sonic, Mina, before I go any further, you must promise me that you won't tell anyone else what I'm about to tell you. Got it?" His tone was gruff. Aggressive.

"Of course," we both replied simultaneously.

He nodded, and he started typing on his computer. After a few minutes of typing, clicking, and searching, he finally found what he was looking for. "Here. Take a look at this." He pushed the monitor to our position so both of us could see what was on the screen. There was what seemed to be a very old photograph of a young woman, standing next to a very wise-looking old man. "Sonic, do you know who this is?"

I shook my head at him. "Not a clue."

He swallowed, hesitant to say anything. "The man you see in this photograph...is the legendary Gerald Robotnik."

I leapt back in my chair. "THAT's Gerald?"

"Correct. And the girl you see with him is his granddaughter, Maria."

"Maria..."

"A little over fifteen years ago, there was a horrible incident at SciLab. Gerald used to work here, back in the past. During the incident, he was taken in by GUN and sentenced to immediate execution."

Mina blinked. "Wait...GUN? You mean the military?"

He looked right at her. "Exactly. And...Maria was reported killed in action, fleeing from GUN with a top-secret experiment."

I fell into my chair, saddened by his words. "That's horrible..."

"It gets worse."

"It does...?"

"Sonic, can you guess what that top-secret experiment was that Maria was killed for running away with?"

I thought for a few moments, trying to grasp everything that was being thrown at me at one time. This whole story sounded like a real nightmare, but I knew that, no matter how fake it may have sounded, it was real. There wouldn't be photographic evidence of it if it wasn't. An answer suddenly knocked on the front door of my brain.

"Was it...Project Shadow?"

"That's right."

Bingo! Score for me! "So, wait...she ran away from GUN with an experiment? That doesn't sound right. I don't think you're telling me the whole story, here."

"I know. I can explain to you, but...even I don't know everything. And what I do know may not even sound true to you."

I hesitantly looked back at him. "Go on. We're listening."

He cleared his throat before he started speaking again. "From what I was told by my father, Dr. Hikari, one of Gerald's co-workers, is that Project Shadow was a top-secret experiment that involved creating the ultimate life form."

My peridot orbs widened. "The...ultimate life form? You mean something like Chaos? A god?"

"No, Sonic. Something even greater."

"No way..." Something stronger than a god? I couldn't believe that. Could such a thing really exist?

"Project Shadow, for the most part, was a success, and the ultimate life form was, indeed, created. Everyone at SciLab was obviously blown away by such a huge discovery. And that, in turn, is what lead to the incident that occured. See, GUN got word of Project Shadow and decided to take it from SciLab. They made numerous offers to SciLab as a company, and they even tried to bribe Gerald and SciLab as a whole. But no matter what they offered, Project Shadow was far too important to Gerald, and so, he refused every offer."

"Damn!" I grinned. "What a dedicated researcher!"

"No kidding!" agreed Mina.

"Then, one day, GUN filed the denial of Project Shadow as a direct act of insubordination against the military, and so, it was that decision that lead them to terminate SciLab's workers and Project Shadow."

I sneered at his words. "So basically, it was one of those things where if they couldn't have it, then no one could. Right?"

"Yes...that's right." I could tell that he was distressed. "So, as far as my father was informed, Project Shadow was terminated along with most of SciLab's workers and officers."

"That's terrible...GUN tricked the people into thinking that SciLab was a rebellious corporation, and that the world should hate them for no reason! That's ridiculous!" I slammed my hand on his desk in a fit of rage.

"Sonic, calm down. There's nothing you can do about it, now. It was more than fifteen years ago, probably before you were even born."

I managed to regain my cool. "I know...It's just...I hate it when stuff like that happens, you know? Especially when the military is the one who does it."

"I understand. Why don't you hang onto this paper, Sonic? Maybe you can use it for some kind of spiritual closure."

"Closure? Yeah, I guess so..." I took the document from his hand, rolled it up neatly, and placed it gently in my pocket. I ran out the door without even acknowledging Mina or Yuichiro, blinded by an upcoming fit of rage. Mina followed hastily after me, and she finally stopped me outside of SciLab, grabbing onto my arm and forcing herself onto it. "What's gotten into you, Sonic?"

"Mina..." I looked down at her, feeling slightly guilty...and kind of stupid, too. "I'm sorry you had to see me do that. I just..."

I felt her hand place itself on my cheek, and she gazed deeply into my eyes with hers. "Don't worry about it, baby. I understand why you're so upset. The government, the military...they can manipulate people however they want, whenever they want, to get whatever they want. That's just how it is; it's only because they run absolutely everything in this world..."

"I know. I'm sorry."

She kissed my lips, and her finger massaged my cheek. "There's nothing to forgive, Sonic. C'mon, let's go home." She took my hand, and we walked side by side onto the train and back home together. As we approached my house, she turned to face me; she had been practically leading me herself. She threw me a warm, loving smile. "Do you mind...if I spend the night?"

I blinked a few times, and smiled back at her. "Sure." I walked ahead of her and pushed the door open, allowing her entry into my humble abode. We walked up the stairs and into my room together, which was an obvious sign of what she wanted to do with me. Of course, after a day like today, I didn't have any real problems with it. I was up for it, too. Something to cheer me up; make me feel better. As she shut the door behind me as I walked into my room, she slowly tiptoed over to me, her hands reaching for the sides of her tanktop. As she removed her upper clothing from her torso, she pressed against me and caused us both to fall onto my bed. We started to engage each other in a deep, passionate tongue war, and my hand slowly reached down for her hide. My fingers started to pluck away at her waist, eventually removing her lower articles of clothing and throwing them casually to the floor.

Mina broke off of my lips with a warm smile, placing her hand on my cheek and massaging it once again. God, it felt like heaven and earth had collided; I felt dead, but I knew I was alive. It was a wonderful feeling. I used my left hand to steadily trace off her panties and her bra, leaving her completely exposed to me. I could never really grasp how lucky I was; I was dating such a perfect girl. Her figure, her personality, her aura...everything about her was off-the-scale perfection. She used her hands to slowly remove my undergarments, and eventually, all I had on was my shirt, but even that didn't last very long. She swung if off of my chest, watching it hit the floor and immediately reverting her undivided attention back to me. She positioned herself on top of me, and we started on our intercourse adventure. Every few seconds, she would moan in satisfaction, and every other few moments, I would do the same thing. We had entered our intertwined world of joy, pleasuring each other with our own ways of arousing each other, keeping us engaged in what we were doing. Our little adventure lasted us a few hours, until finally, it had come to an undesired end. I honestly didn't want it to stop, and neither did she. We laid there together, exposed and exhausted, cuddling under my sheets. My arm was lovingly wrapped around her, bringing her closer to me and allowing me to feel more of her glowing warmth.

"I love you," she whispered into my ear.

"I love you," I whispered back to her.

But it was odd...Even after such an amazing experience, I was still troubled. I was still clouded with an undying sense of guilt. I guess guilt was the proper word for it; I don't really know if that's what it was or not. I don't know why I should feel guilty; none of what happened to Maria and Gerald had anything to do with me whatsoever. It was so long ago...I don't think I was even born yet. Of course, I couldn't exactly ask my parents; they're both dead. I guess it's just the fact that something like that happened all because of the military's manipulation. After something like that, how could anyone even attempt to rely on GUN for anything? Two people-two innocent lives-were lost during those events...How could I NOT be at least a little sad about it?

Really, I think what I felt more of was confused. Why would someone-anyone-be willing to go that far for an experiment? Even if it WAS the ultimate life form? Another thing that bothered me...Whatever happened to Project Shadow? Yuichiro didn't say anything about it in his story. Gerald and Maria were both killed, but...what happened to the experiment? What was the experiment like? Was it some kind of monster? A mutated animal? Or even less believeable...

Was it...human? 


	33. Chapter 33

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 33 Legend of the Strongest

It was the morning after Mina had stayed the night at my house. She had woken up and fixed me a delightful breakfast, consisting of eggs, bacon, and toast. I keep telling you guys; she's perfect! She can even cook amazing meals! We had just finished getting ready for school, and we were on our way out the door together, holding each other's hand as we walked. But on our way, my eyes caught something intriguing, and it turned out that Tails, Knuckles, and Amy had all stopped to check it out, too. They were standing within a crowd of people who were going downtown to partake in some kind of event. Our group of friends followed the crowd downtown, and we eventually stopped in front of a new building, one that had been under construction even before the fight with Chaos. Guess my wish did more than restore destroyed stuff; it even made new stuff, too. That's pretty cool.

Tails had approached a sign on the window of the building, and he traced his steps back to the group of friends. "Apparently, it's a calling for the toughest Netbattlers in Station Square." He glanced over at me. "Sonic, I trust you're going inside?"

I grinned at him. "Oh, you know it!"

He laughed. "Okay, then let's all go in and have a look." We all walked in together, only to be practically stuffed into a giant, impenetrable crowd. We were stuck all the way in the back of the building; apparently, the strongest Netbattlers in Station Square were pretty much everybody. At least, everybody who was self-centered and proud of what little talent they had. There were three people, one man and two women, standing atop a stage in front of everyone, and they were getting ready to speak to us.

"Thank you all for coming today," one of the girls spoke through the microphone. "We have asked you all to gather here because we have a very interesting proposition to tell you about!"

Numerous whispers and rambilins spewed throughout the room. The boy stood up to the microphone to speak. "Sally here is right! Netbattlers, allow me to ask you all something: have you ever longed to be better than you already are? Have you ever wanted to be like the hero, Sonic? Have you ever wanted to be famous for your skills as a Netbattler?"

He lost me when he asked everyone if they wanted to be as good as I am. The other girl approached the microphone.

"Manic, Sally and I are going to approach a fierce opponent: the only man in the world who has ever been considered the strongest of them all!"

This time, shouts and even boos echoed through the room. Manic approached the microphone again.

"The legendary Netbattler who has slain more than ten-thousand people in a battle! He's never been defeated! NEVER! That is, until now! Everyone, we've gathered you all here to ask for your help! You see, defeating this man is, by no means, an easy task, but with our combined forces, there's not a chance in hell we can lose! So join the three of us in fighting this man! And when we beat him, the world will know us-all of us-as legendary fighters! And even heroes!"

The only thing I could hear this time were obnoxious cheers that could easily echo through the entire city.

"So who's with us? Keep in mind the circumstances, gather your courage and step forward! Remember: you could all become legendary heroes!"

Surprisingly enough, nobody stepped onto the stage. That is, not until I made my way up there. My face was lit with a confident smile. "Where do I sign up?"

Manic flipped out upon seeing me on stage. "Incredible! To think that our advertisements have even grasped the attention and intrigue of the world-famous hero, Sonic!"

Within seconds after he said my name, I heard footsteps approaching the stage. In fact, it was a set of footsteps. Judging by the number of clumps on the ground, I'd say five people were right behind me, and when I turned around to see them, I was surprised to see who they were. Three of them I had never met before, but two of them I knew all too well. "Silver! Scourge! What're you guys doing here?"

Scourge grinned and laughed at me. "Hey, no one ever said you could hog the spotlight, kiddo! I'm gonna be a hero, too!"

Silver half-smiled at me. "I'm only here because Blaze sent me here on Official business. She had heard the buzz about all of this and asked me to investigate."

I shook my head with a smile. "Always so formal, eh, Silver?"

He smiled at me. "Yeah, well...so long as we're doing this, we might as well work as a team, right?"

The three of us shook hands as if we were the greatest of friends. I grinned at them. "No arguements here!"

Scourge laughed. "Diddo!"

I completely forgot about the other three who stood up on stage, and when I remembered they were there, I walked over to the one that was supposedly the leader of the little group. His hair was an emerald shade, and it was spiked about as if every single bang and thread of hair did its best to defy the logic of gravity. The woman behind him had purple hair, which streamed down to about the middle of her back. When I say purple, I mean a lighter color than Mina's. The other guy behind him was a colossal one, and his hair was grey; not silver, but grey. A dull grey, at that. His massive figure was topped off with a pair of large goggles atop his forehead, and the other two had the same accessory on their heads. They were color-coded to fit their hair; green, purple, and grey.

I reached out a hand for the green-haired man to shake. "I'm Sonic! Nice to-" Before I even finished, the man flicked me on my forehead with a smirk on his face. "Hey! What was that for?"

He grinned at me. "You may be a hero around these parts, but when I'm finished with that so-called legendary Netbattler, you'll be nothing more than yesterday's news! So get used to being treated like everyone else."

The purple-haired girl approached me. "Sorry about that. Jet's always like this, even to his own friends."

"Jet?"

"That's his name. I'm Wave, and the big guy here is Storm."

Storm, as he was called, didn't say a thing. Silence. Just a glare and a tilt of his head in a meager show of respect.

"So, Sonic, I hear you're the one that beat that Chaos guy?"

I smiled at her. "The one and the same!"

"Must've been hard, huh? I mean, he practically destroyed the entire city by himself..."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah, it was hard...and honestly, I couldn't have done it alone. He was just too strong."

"We just came here from a far-off city called Babylon. We heard through E-Mail about this whole legendary Netbattler thing, and Jet decided to drag us all here with him to check it out. He's always in a rush to find a quick route to fame and glory."

"Really? It's not as great as it seems."

She giggled. "If anyone here knows what it's like, it's gotta be you." I could only imagine Mina in the crowd of people, watching this little scenario take place. I could picture her...fists steaming with fire, as well as her eyes. Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn, that's for damn sure.

"Okay! Everyone that's coming with us, let's get moving! Say your goodbyes and meet back here within the hour!"

One hour to say goodbye to everyone...Sounds fair, I guess. I jumped off of the stage and treaded through the crowd of people and back to my group of friends, and wouldn't you know it, Mina was, for lack of a better word, steamed.

"Who was that girl? What was she talking with you about? Did she do anything to you? Did one of her fingers touch you? What happened?"

"Relax, babe!" I grinned at her. "Nothing happened. She was just introducing herself to us."

"Oh...all right, then..."

"But I have to say goodbye for right now."

"I know. And we'll all be waiting for you to come home."

"Thanks. I'll call you as soon as I can. I promise."

She walked up to me and kissed me in front of god and everybody, and when she broke away from me, she gave me that warm, loving smile that always makes me crave for her touch. It was like an addiction I could never be rid of. And quite frankly, I never intended to be rid of it. I walked casually back to the stage, meeting up with Silver and Scourge before we left for our trip to who knows where. As we started talking about the trip, I could have sworn that Jet guy was staring-glaring-right at me. It sent a shiver right down my back, chilling my spine, just thinking about something like that. Luckily for me, the hour we had swung by faster than I could run, and we were all taken to a luxury jet outside of the building.

"This is it, everyone! Get yourselves ready for the greatest of challenges! The epitome of all showdowns! The once-in-a-lifetime chance at ultimate fame and fortune!"

The jet started picking up, its blades spinning rapidly in a circular motion. A violent gust of wind picked up, blowing through our clothes and throwing some dust in our eyes. We were all ready and raring to go, me hoping to further improve my skills, Scourge wanting to be a hero, and Silver wanting to get to the bottom of his investigation. Either way, we all had the same objective: to fight this so-called legendary Netbattler and gain what we were after.

"We're off! Next stop: the Underworld!" 


	34. Chapter 34

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 34 The Underworld Deity

The Underworld...Sounded intimidating enough. I had never heard of the place, to be honest, and it only made me more curious and itching for answers. So, I decided to ask Silver and Scourge. Silver, to both my surprise and dismay, had never even heard of the place, either, but Scourge, on the other hand, was practically a walking encyclopedia of information on the place.

"The Underworld is located to the far, far north of Station Square. It used to be a frequently-used space station, but a while back, it was completely destroyed, being turned into nothing but a bloodstained wasteland. The people of Station Square were just told to completely ignore it, and so, as time went on, it was forgotten and abandoned by humanity. That is, until the sick freaks that run the Underworld got their hands on the place. They turned the entire area into the Underworld, expanding it to the best of their ability and pretty much making it a barren wasteland. And anyone who stepped foot into their playground had to play by their rules. No exceptions, otherwise they were killed. Not beaten in a Netbattle. Killed."

"And this so-called legendary Netbattler is somewhere in the Underworld?"

"That's what I reckon. The Underworld has been moved literally under the world now, because the people who run the place refused to be subject to the rules and regulations of our world. The only way to survive in that place is to go FullSynchro, which means the barrier between Cyberworld and the real world will be broken the entire time you're there. Every hit you take, you'll feel real pain from it. If you die, then you're gone. For good. There's no logging out or pulsing out or anything. You'll be dead."

"So, wait...we're supposed to fight this guy in a place like that?" interrupted Silver, coming up from my left side.

"Yep. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds. I used to hang around there, y'know."

"You used to live there?"

"Yep. In fact, that's where I met Fiona. When we got together, we decided that the Underworld, despite it being a pretty cool place, wasn't fitting our style, and so, we moved to Station Square."

"People actually lived in the Underworld?" I continued to question him.

"Uh-huh. Like I said, it's not as bad as it sounds. I mean, yeah, most of the entire Underworld is nothin' but a wasteland, but that's only because they haven't built anything ever since the expansion."

"The expansion? What's that?"

"The Underworld got a helluva lot bigger, and when it did, it turned out that it got big enough to stretch throughout the entire world. So basically, we're going to an entirely different world that's right below ours."

"And people live there?" asked Silver. "That's ridiculous. How could people manage to live under the earth?"

"The only way they COULD manage to live under the earth: by utilizing the gaps and paths we've already established underground, like sewers and tunnels and such. They use all of that for natural light, air, and whatever food they can get their hands on. There's plenty of water under the planet, so there's no need to worry about that."

"Wow...living under the earth sounds pretty damn inconvenient," I replied.

"It does, doesn't it? But Fiona and I managed to do it. And if either one of you tried to, so could you."

"Get real! I can barely manage to live on the surface by myself!"

Scourge busted out into laughter at my comment. Apparently, the fact that my job was the only thing keeping me in a house and home was extremely humorous to him. Silver even decided to join in on the laughter, but not as much as Scourge did; his was a more refined laugh, one that didn't echo through the entire plane. Hey, yeah...Speaking of planes, that Jet guy and his two friends retreated to the first-class section of the plane and haven't even thought of coming out to mingle with us. After all, besides the other three who organized this whole trip, we were the only other people on the plane. All accounted for, there were a total of nine people on this big, empty plane. I guess I didn't really have a say in what they did, so I didn't ponder with it for the rest of the trip. At last, after flying for no short of two hours, we came to our destination.

"What's goin' on here?" I looked around to grasp some surroundings, only to find that there was nothing here. We were standing on a completely deserted plain of sand, almost like a stranded desert. There was no wind where we were standing, and there was nothing here for what must have been miles. I turned to face Manic and the other two. "What's going on, here? All I see is a giant desert. An empty one, at that; there aren't even any cacti here to liven things."

Manic approached me. "Ahh, but you see, that's only because you're not grasping what you're standing on. Sonic, everyone, on the count of three, we're all going to jump into the air and slam back down onto the ground. One...Two..."

We readied ourselves to reply to Manic's request.

"THREE!" We all leapt high into the air and plummeted back down onto the sand, only to discover that we weren't really standing on sand; we were standing on a massive plate of thin bedrock, which crumbled swiftly as soon as we hit the ground again. We all fell down to the darkness below, only to land on what was actual sand. I glanced up from where we fell to witness the ceiling literally closing on us. We were trapped, wherever we were. Not only that, but the entire area was consumed by a blood-red mist; the clouds, the sand beneath our feet, the atmosphere...it was all the color of blood. I took a few steps forward to rejoin my friends, only to hastily stop when I heard the echoing of some very intimidating voices.

"Foolish humans who dare step foot within our bloodstained lands! For what purpose have you come here?"

Jet stepped forward to reply to the voice, to my surprise. "Cut the scary guy act! I'm here to fight that legendary Netbattler!"

The voice laughed hoarsely. "You? Stand before the Underworld Deity? Such ignorance...No one has ever defeated him! Not even our King!"

I felt like being the completely ignorant one by stepping forward. "Hey, uhh...I have a question, mister voice! If this place is under the world we live in...then how do you guys live here?"

The voice chuckled at me. "We are provided with all we need through the influence of our King. His royal presence in this world is what keeps everything alive. Even the outsiders who are stupid enough to tread here."

"Oh...So, your King is magic, then? That's pretty cool! There aren't a lot of people who can use magic in our world anymore!"

My statement apparently intrigued Silver. "Yes...Magic is something very scarce in our world nowadays. The last time I'd ever seen magic was from Chaos and Tikal, but that's only because they were gods, and they manipulated their magic into powerful battlechips."

"That is because battlechips are nothing more than cybernetic magic, compressed into the vessels you humans call Star Carriers."

"So, wait...Star Carriers and battlechips...are magic?" I asked.

"That's a lie. SC's and battlechips were created by the minds and technology at SciLab."

"That is only what we, the Underworld dwellers, have lead your world to believe. The Underworld exists because of the influence of magic. And the technology and science behind SciLab are only because of us...those who have lived from the Super Advance Prehistoric Civilization."

Silver gasped. "The...No...You must be lying! That can't be! You're...from the Super Advance Prehistoric Civilzation?"

I glanced over at Silver. "What's that?"

He looked over at me with a distressed look on his face. "It's an ancient race that lived more than 24,000 years ago. It's sort of like the myth of Atlantis; they possessed technology that far exceeds our own even to this day. Only this was a real civilization, and there are actual records of it existing in the past forgotten. But that would mean you people are tens of thousands of years old...!"

"Precisely. We use the power of magic to operate our advance technology, and thus, we create the science needed for your precious Star Carriers and battlechips. It all traces back to the influence of magic."

"Impossible...!"

"And it is how your world was blessed with the ultimate life form, as well!"

That triggered a huge bell in my mind. "Ultimate life form? What're you talking about?"

"Sonic...?" Silver glanced over at me, concerned.

"You don't mean...Project Shadow...do you?"

The voice laughed once again. "That is what you humans have called it, yes! The ultimate life form was created using data from our ancient race. And since we transfer our magic into every speck of data we possess, magic is imbued within every piece of machinery your world has today."

"So everything we have...is all magic..."

"Correct."

"Baah! I don't care about that! What about Project Shadow?"

"Shadow was created using part of the ultimate program, Eterna. Eterna was the only data we could create before we were wiped out that granted its wielder eternal life and youth. Somehow, the data was carried away to the surface world, and humans discovered it and put it to use with their own experiments."

"Live forever...No wonder he's the ultimate life form!"

"Enough! We grow tired of your pointless questions! You are here to face the legendary Netbattler, yes? Then so be it!"

The skies roared with vicious thunder, and lightning twisted and turned through the distance, crashing down to the ground near us. I covered my eyes from the debris of lightning, and when I finally got the chance to see the distance ahead of me, I saw a man walking towards us. He was obviously wearing a stylish trenchcoat; its tips were dangling ferociously in the wind. I couldn't tell from the distance what color it was, but I could only assume it was a shade of black. After all, I was used to evil people wearing black clothing. That's why I could only guess as much.

The man started getting closer to us, and we all readied our SC's. But before we got the chance to actually pulse in, we all discovered that our SC's were already active. Scourge was right; no matter what would happen, we were stuck in FullSynchro-all of us; the pain we would feel from fighting down here would all be real. Finally, he had approached us, and as he did, the wind died down until there was nothing left. The thunder and lightning seized, and there was absolute silence. Finally, I could see what he looked like, as could everyone else. He was tall, structured, and an overall fearsome sight. His hair was spiked to the sides, completely black with red streaks on the tips. As I thought before, he was garmented in a flashy black trenchcoat, which covered a sleeveless grey shirt underneath it. His pants were as black as his hair, and his eyes-as mysterious as they looked-were tainted with a crimson red. If they were trying to scare us...then it worked; no one had the incentive to take a single step; we were all too terrified that he would kill us all in the blink of an eye.

"Now! Fight the most powerful man in the world! Watch as your efforts are reduced to nothing! Cower in fear at the mere thought of being in his presence! You stand before the greatest of all fighters...the strongest of all living beings!"

Suddenly, the wind became monstrous, and it even ripped some holes in my clothing. It was almost as if though a vicious tornado was about to rain down on us. The entire earth below our feet started to tremble, and the thunder and lightning once again scattered through the bloody mist. I couldn't exactly speak for the others, but...I was terrified. Paralyzed in fear. I knew that, just by looking at him, even I was no match for him. And what the evil voice in the sky said after I acknowledged my fear just made everything worse; it made my fear turn into an absolute feeling of dread and pure horror:

"Shadow! The Ultimate Life Form!" 


	35. Chapter 35

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 35 Judgement of the Strongest

Shadow, the ultimate life form...I was staring the man right in the eyes. What's worse, I wasn't dreaming, and even worse than that, he was my enemy. My next opponent. Could I beat him? Could I even get lucky enough to hurt him? All of my doubts were so instantaneous, I didn't know what to think. Just looking at this guy was enough to make even the boldest of men cower in fear, never mind someone like me. Nevertheless, I backflipped away from him, ready to give my all for this battle. I promised my girlfriend and my friends that I'd come home; I don't intend on breaking that promise.

Shadow's eyes slowly shut. It was as if though he was completely uninterested in fighting me. Right at this moment, that didn't sound like a bad thing. "If you think you want to live past today...get out of here and don't even think of coming back." His eyes reopened, their crimson intensity glaring its way into my conscience.

"Gimme a break, bud." I flipped into the air, readying a battlechip to use against him. "I can do without the badass role-playing for one day, thanks! FireSword!" My arm formed into the said chip, and within a second, it came crashing down on him, but before the blade even made its way to Shadow, something prevented it from going any further. I didn't exactly know what it was; all that I know is that it was invisible. I couldn't see it; no one could. Yet, that didn't stop Jet, Wave and Storm from going full-force on the guy. Jet followed behind me with a powerful chip of his own.

"GreenTornado!" A massive gust of wind formed below us, trapping Shadow within its grasp. Moments later, a massive green orb of energy tumbled down on top of him, slamming hard and possibly inflicting massive damage. I was impressed, to say the least. I don't think I had a chip nearly that powerful; at least, not a single one. Which, conveniently, gave me a good idea. I readied a LifeSword for when Shadow revealed himself, ready to use it at any given time. Apparently, my thoughts were contagious; Silver did the exact same thing and approached me, standing back to back in hopes that Shadow wouldn't catch us off guard. Sadly, our efforts were pretty much wasted.

"Idiots," a voice echoed. It was obviously Shadow's voice, but he was nowhere to be seen. That, of course, was proven false when Silver and I felt violent gusts of dust blow beneath us, signaling that something was zipping right by us faster than we could blink. Silver looked down at the ground in anger. "Are you shitting me? How can anything be this fast?"

"I don't know! But if you wanna live long enough to get an answer..." I raised my arm to use the LifeSword, and wouldn't you know it, the direction I used it on actually hit Shadow dead-on! Or, so I was lead to believe. It turned out that, as soon as my blade hit him, his body sparked into nothing but a pile of ashes. It was a fake. Seconds later, I could feel the rushing wind of a weapon heading our way. Pushing Silver out of the way, we managed to dodge a large flurry of pointy shurikens. Obviously, if I hadn't dodged it with Silver, that single attack would have killed us both.

Jumping back to our feet, Silver and I once again assumed the offensive. By now, we had already conceived that Shadow was impossibly fast; we would be lucky enough to even see the guy to attack him. Not only that, but every time we even came close to hitting the guy, he'd flash a tricky counterattack before we even made the assault. He has reflexes like I've never seen before; loading his battlechips faster than we can even reach for ours is definitely a skill to write home about. Effectively, we couldn't manage an attack before he got the chance to prepare for it. We had to find a way to hit him more than once, the second hit being one after his counterattack.

"Sonic! I've got something we can try out! Listen up!" Of course, speaking as loudly as he was, Shadow wouldn't have much trouble thinking of something to do to block it. But he lowered his voice to a mild whisper, so I could be the only one to hear him. "He's going to counter every time we use an attack, so we have to think of a way to hit him right afterwards."

"Yeah, I figured that much! But the problem is, what?"

"I have a few AntiDamage chips. When I take any damage, I'll get the chance to counterattack him. That's when he'll disappear, and then you come in and use a powerful chip to stop him. Got it?"

I gave him a thumbs up. "No sweat!" Although, that was easier said than done. I readied the necessary chips for the LifeSword one last time, hoping that Silver's plan would work. As soon as I did, he loaded his AntiDamage chip and waited for Shadow to make his move. It was only seconds afterwards that Shadow dashed right in front of him and stabbed him with a blade forged out of dark energy, which of course caused Silver to vanish and throw a couple shurikens at him in a counterattack. This struck Shadow, revealing that he was just a clone. That's when the real Shadow warped right in front of him to strike him, but right before he got the chance to, our plan reached its finishing point.

"How's THIS for cheap?" I crashed the LifeSword down onto him, sending him spiraling into the ground and spitting up a monstrous dust storm. We both landed on our feet and anxiously waited for Shadow to get back on his feet. However, after the dust settled, Shadow was nowhere to be seen. We immediately switched back into cautious mode and waited for him to make another assault. It was at this time that I felt this ominous presence crashing down onto me, and it was coming from up above. I glanced into the sky, only to see an enormous burst of energy plummeting down to the earth, ready to squash Silver and I like a couple of colored pancakes.

"Silver! Move it!" I leapt out of the way of the blast, and Silver followed my move in a different direction. Unfortunately, we weren't far enough to not get caught in the impact of the attack, and so, when it landed, we were sent flying across the skies, landing harshly on the ground dozens of feet away. I landed next to Scourge, who immediately aided me back to my feet and threw a Recovery300 chip on me so I could be healed. "Sonic! Can you still fight?"

I leapt back to my feet. "Of course! Let's get back in there!"

He grinned and nodded, and within two seconds, we were charging back into the action.

Meanwhile, Jet, Wave, and Swallow were all cowering behind the plane. I didn't think Jet was exactly tough, but if he was going to have the courage to SAY he was ready to fight the strongest in the world, he should at least have the consistency to TRY to fight him. I couldn't really blame them, though; Shadow was too tough. Even for someone like Silver and I. Silver, Scourge and I were going after him as a team now, and even with two of us, we were fighting the fight of our lives. We literally can't stop for more than a split second to catch our breaths; Shadow's too fast to let us have that chance, too strong to be beaten by brute force, and far too skilled and clever to let us make one false move. Every single step we made had to be a perfect one; if it wasn't, then odds are, it would be our last one.

Scourge and I approached Silver once again, this time angled in a triangle so as to see him coming from three directions. This, of course, wasn't the greatest strategy; after all, it didn't really matter what direction we were facing if he could come at us at the speed of light. Hell, we could blink, and he'd be standing right in front of us. Luckily, he didn't seem too aggressive to kill us...yet. Of course, we still didn't see him. That is, until he warped right in front of us and stood there, his ominous presence piercing into my confidence.

"I told you to go home. You can't win this fight. You won't."

"Shut up," said Scourge, walking steadily towards him.

"No! Scourge!" I exclaimed. He was approaching him alone? Not a good idea.

He gestured his hand in the air, waving it at me. "Don't worry about me! Just stay put!"

"Are you crazy?" demanded Silver.

He looked right at Shadow, whose eyes were staring intently back at him. They were definitely the eyes of a cold-hearted killer, that goes without saying. "You're leaving your friends behind."

Scourge snickered. "They'll be fine without me. Besides, they won't need to worry...'cause I'm about to whoop your ass."

Shadow didn't seem to be affected by what he said. He could probably sit there and bash about his personal things, like his mom, and he wouldn't mind. Shadow was focused, and it seemed that focus was impenetrable.

"People say you're the strongest. So what? When I kill you, that'll make me a hero. Everyone in the world will know who I am."

"You're going to kill me just so you can become a hero to the humans? Ridiculous. Why would you want to do something so foolish?"

"Because I don't like assholes like you. And it's always been my dream to be a hero. To be remembered for my actions. To leave behind a cherished memory instead of a forgettable one. You're remembered for the lives you've taken; I'll be remembered as the one who took YOUR life."

"Is that so?"

He grinned. "Absolutely. The world will honor me as the greatest, strongest hero in history, and that'll be my ticket to stardom. Everyone in the world will remember me like they do Sonic! THAT is my dream!"

Scourge could barely finish his sentence before Shadow hastily grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him. His grip was firm, tightening by the second until Scourge's head was about ready to burst off of his shoulders. "Your dream is one that will never be obtained. You will never defeat me. I am the ultimate life form. There isn't a single, solitary being in this or any other world that can kill me."

Scourge couldn't say anything; he was running short on breath. Fast.

"I once trusted humans. I once lived amongst them as their project. But now...I am on my own. I have grown superior to them because of that. By living by myself, I have become far stronger than the ultimate life form. I have become something even greater than that."

"But not...stronger...than Chaos..." Scourge managed to breathe.

"Chaos? The God of Destruction?" He glanced over at me for about three seconds, and looked back at Scourge. "I assume HE is the one who defeated Chaos?"

Scourge nodded weakly.

"I see. In that case..." He snapped Scourge's neck, breaking it. With one simple act, he had killed Scourge, and as soon as he heard the crack, he dropped his corpse to the ground, warp-dashing back over to me.

"S...Shadow!"

"You are the one who defeated Chaos. Correct?"

"Y...Yeah!"

"You're nothing to me. Leave this place. I have already taken the life of your friend."

"You what?" I ran over to Scourge, seeing that he was, in fact, dead. I stood back up to meet Shadow, a raging flame burning brightly in my eyes. "You son of a bitch!" I yelled, charging at Shadow blindly with a CyberSword chip installed. This was a ridiculous move, of course, as Shadow grabbed my sword by the blade and slammed me to the ground. That nearly broke my back, to be honest; if I was any higher, it would have.

"Fool. And you're supposed to be the world's hero? Pathetic."

Silver attempted to strike Shadow with a LongSword, but he caught it between his fingers before it hit him. "You bastard! I won't let you kill Sonic!"

I glanced up to see Silver fighting him. "Silver! No! Stand back!" I was trying so hard to get back to my feet...but I couldn't. My back was literally on the verge of being shattered.

"No! I won't! I can't let him go unpunished!" He backflipped away from Shadow and prepared for an attack. Moments after he escaped from Shadow's range, a flaming aura emitted from his body, picking up in strength every few seconds. I could already tell what this was; it was the same attack he used during the tournament at that restaurant...

"RazingPhoenix!" Silver darted into the air, and with unimaginable force, he dove right back down at Shadow, supposedly landing a direct blow and causing a massive explosion. As the dust cleared, I managed to stand back on my feet. I started looking around the area for any signs of Shadow or Silver, but to my dismay, all I saw was Silver on the ground, panting. He was kneeling down, lacking of any energy to keep fighting. I steadily ran over to him, keeping in mind that my back was still vastly damaged. I carefully kneeled down to him.

"He's...gone. It's over, Sonic..."

"Silver...You did it? He's-"

But before I could even finish that sentence, a small beam of light pierced its way through Silver's chest. It was obviously a powerful beam of energy, and as it pierced through him, he slowly tumbled down to the ground, losing all signs of life. I called his name repeatedly, hoping to at least get something. No response. He was just like Scourge. I punched the ground in rage, and I felt Shadow warp-dash right behind me, staring down at me.

"Do you see what happens when I am challenged? No one can beat me. No one ever has."

"You sick bastard..."

"Call me what you will." He started to walk away from me. "Your friends are dead. There's no changing that fact."

I leapt back to my feet. "Why? Why did you have to kill them?"

"I only did what you came here to do to me. You all approached me with the intent to kill. What's wrong with me doing the same thing?"

"Shadow!"

"Pitiful. You are the hero of the human world, and yet, you still pose no threat to me. I suppose Chaos has lost his touch over the thousands of years he's been alive."

"You...You know Chaos?"

"Chaos, Tikal and I once engaged in combat. The two gods challenged me, and I defeated them."

"You...defeated them both? At the same time?"

"Yes."

"That's...You're...No..."

"It's true. I am the ultimate life form, created to exceed even the bounds of a mortal man. I am immortal. Nothing can kill me."

"Shadow...!" I could feel my energy slipping away. He had beaten us, that's for sure.

"But I will choose...to let you live. So that you may one day become strong enough to stand before me."

I fell to the ground, unconscious and nearly lifeless. He lifted his arm into the air, and he started charging up energy for some kind of final attack. "Never step foot in these lands again." As soon as he said those words, the entire Underworld flashed a bright, shining color, and before I knew it, the weirdest thing had happened...

I was bandaged up, laying on a hospital bed, with Mina, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy standing beside me.

The sound of a television program was about the only thing I could really hear besides the voices of my friends. Everything else was still hazy, but what could I expect after taking such an abrupt beating?

"Mina? Guys? Wait a minute...where are Silver and Scourge?"

"They're being treated in different rooms," Tails stated. "They were both just like you when we found them; mercilessly beaten and unconscious."

"We called for an ambulence as soon as we found the three of you outside of the shopping center of Station Square," added Knuckles.

"There were a bunch of people crowding you guys, just standing there, looking at you three," commented Amy.

"Sonic, sweetheart...what happened to you guys?" asked Mina.

"I...I don't know," I replied to her. "We got to the Underworld, and...Wait! That's right!"

"What?" Mina blinked. "What is it?"

"That guy...It was him! It was the guy from the paper...Shadow!"

"Shadow? You mean Project Shadow?"

"Yeah! The same one!"

"Sonic, are you sure you didn't take a blow to your head? That doesn't sound like something I can believe. Don't you remember? Project Shadow was lost along with Maria fifteen years ago."

"But I KNOW it was him! He's one of the Underworld Deities!"

"The Underworld Deities?"

"Allow me," interrupted Tails. "The Underworld is an entirely different world that exists right below ours. Quite literally, in fact; there are certain parts of the planet where you could locate the entrance to the Underworld. One of them is only a few hours away from Station Square."

"That still doesn't explain what an Underworld Deity is," added Amy.

"The Underworld is home to countless of sick, demonic fighters who live for the thrill of battle. As a result, they've made it so that in their world, you can't have a Netbattle with them; you actually have to fight them in a state of FullSynchro. This means that you would be fighting for your life."

"And? What about the deities?"

"The Underworld Deities are, as their name depicts, considered to be the Gods of the Underworld. The last time I checked, there were only three. Two of them who are both unknown, and their god-king, who is also unknown. That's only because no one from this world has ever seen them before."

"Oh...Much better."

"So, Sonic, you said that you met one of the Underworld Deities?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Project Shadow was one of the Underworld Deities. And if you think the name is scary enough...you should have seen his strength."

Knuckles nodded. "Yeah, I can imagine. Someone with a title like that is bound to be incredibly strong."

"Those three that organized the whole event...they knew full well that Shadow was too strong for us, and yet they still gathered us up to fight him? Talk about a low blow."

"Oh!" interrupted Mina. "By the way, what happened to those three other people? You know, those mean-looking thugs that went with you, Silver, and Scourge?"

That's right...I had completely forgotten about Jet and his gang. I couldn't really care less right now about Manic and those two girls, but I really hope Jet and his friends got out okay.

"I...I dunno what happened to them. All I know is that they didn't even help us fight Shadow. They cowered behind the plane the entire time."

"Those good-for-nothing snakes!" yelled Amy. I didn't really expect HER to be the angry one. Oh, well.

"For what it's worth, I don't really care if we see them again," replied Knuckles. "If what you say is true, then they don't deserve any pity. They just sat and hid while you guys were out there getting your asses kicked."

"So, Sonic," began Mina, "you sure you're okay? I mean, you'll need to stay here for a little while, but other than some rest, the nurse said your body was perfectly fine."

I blinked at her. "Wait a minute...you mean...I'm fine? My back is fine and everything?"

"Hmm? Yeah, the nurse said you were able to go home after some rest, and to get some more rest when you got back home. So yeah, she says you're fine."

"Oh...Wow...Thanks, Shadow..." My voice was too low to be heard correctly.

"Did you say something, dear?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I didn't. But yeah, I feel all right. I'll...I'll go back home."

"That's good. C'mon, we'll walk you home."

I hesitantly made my way out of bed and joined my friends on our walk to my house. Eventually, after a few hiccups along the way, we reached our destination. Mina and Tails helped me up the stairs and onto my bed, and Tails left the room so Mina and I could talk for a little bit alone.

"Sorry for making you worry about me, Mina."

She shook her head with a smile. "I'm just glad you're all right. I...I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you, Sonic..."

I slowly stood back on my feet, and I brought her into a passionate kiss, followed by a warm, loving hug. "I'm sorry. You don't have to worry about me. I'm here, now." I released her momentarily, and I grinned at her, giving her a thumbs up. "I'm still kickin'!"

She giggled at my enthusiasm. "Yeah...you're still kickin'."

"So, hey, you doing anything tomorrow?"

"Hmm? No, nothing particular. Just, y'know...going to school."

"Oh...right. So am I."

"You wanna do something after school?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Whaddya want to do?"

"Hmm...How about we go shopping?"

"Err...At the mall?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Uhh...A-All right. I don't see a problem with that." Obviously, I was not looking forward to an all-out shopping spree RIGHT after going to school. But then again, considering I practically make her worry to death all the damn time, it wouldn't hurt to let her have her way every now and then, right?

"Cool! Let's meet by the flagpole after school tomorrow. 'Kay?"

"Sounds good."

She kissed my lips and turned to leave the room, speedily walking down my stairs and out the front door. I casually fell back to my bed, and a few seconds after I did, I found myself consumed in thought. Shadow...didn't he kill Silver and Scourge? How are they still alive? What was it? Was it...all just an illusion? Can Shadow actually do that? Could he actually conjure up something so immensely threatening? If he could create something like this at will, then I don't think there was any way to stop him. He could get right under your skin, forcing you into a state of rage and therefore blinding you to rational thought, all the while taking that chance to kill you. Talk about insanely overpowered...

Still, he spared us. Why? He had more than enough power to kill us all, and he had all the chances he would get, too. Why did he spare us? Why did he spare...me? I'm the one he was after; the one who defeated Chaos and saved the world. And...he said that he beat both of those gods together, on a team against him...How am I supposed to beat someone like that when I can barely take on one god? I don't know. It's not worth pondering as of right this moment, since I'm obscenely tired. So, I reached for the bed sheet and threw it over my body, hoping to get some much-needed rest from the events that took place today.

Today...It's hard to believe this all happened in one day... 


	36. Chapter 36

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 36 Never A Day Off...

School...Whoever thought of this whole concept needs to be shot and thrown into the deepest river in the world, wrapped ever so tightly in a body bag tied with about six knots. If that's possible. I can't stand school. More likely, I can't stand sitting in one classroom for about an hour, then alternating halfway across the damn building just to go to another class, then having to do the exact same thing an hour later. The only things I had to look forward to in school were Gym class and lunch. Lunch on Fridays, especially; that was buffet day, where we got to pick from a bunch of different foods, all in which were surprisingly good for school cafeteria food.

It was right smack in the middle of third period, which meant two more before lunch started. I had third period with Tails and Mina, who had transferred to our school shortly after it was rebuilt. So, odds are, I would've met her eventually, anyways. Third period was Strategy, which I didn't exactly like to sit through and listen to. Believe it or not, they dropped all of the stupid subjects-like math and such-and started teaching us all about Netbattling and all about Star Carriers. So, in a way, I guess we ARE technically learning about the other stuff, too. Don't get me wrong; I know some of that knowledge is important, but more than half of the things you learn in school, you'll more than likely never get to apply after high school. You know, when it REALLY matters.

After I saved the world from Chaos, I didn't really like fifth period, which was Battle Practice. Everyone in the classroom knew of my accomplishments, and so, everybody and their damn mothers was challenging me every single day. It was exhausting, to say the least. Of course, I would tackle them and win, but still...having to go through them all was a pain in my ass. The chips I used were properly selected for the situation; as such, I never used a Program Advance, and I certainly never went into FullSynchro; I didn't want to turn it into an actual fight. I knew I'd get in deep trouble for doing that, so I always stuck to the normal cuts and minor bruises after every battle.

At last, the bell rang for fourth period. Between every period, I would meet Mina in front of the library, and we'd walk to class together. During third, though, I'd just walk her directly to class along with Tails; oddly enough, they had the same fourth period, too. I'm just glad they have stuff to talk about. She'd peck me on the cheek after walking her to class every period, and I'd dash off to my own period, sometimes being late to class in the process. When I dropped her off to fourth today, she put her finger on my lips and she smiled.

"We're still on for today, right? After school?"

Ah, right...The shopping trip. "Sure thing. See you at the flagpole."

"Okie dokie." She kissed my lips and walked into class. I hurried off to my fourth period.

Fourth period was Technique, which is where we all learned about some cool new tricks to uncover with both our battling skills and Star Carriers themselves. Of course, I didn't really have to listen; I already knew everything that came out of his mouth and into my ears. I ended up falling asleep about halfway through the period, and when I did, I felt a sting on my forehead; the teacher had thrown a large piece of chalk at me, landing a direct blow and pushing me backwards out of my chair and onto the cold, tiled floor. Damn, that hurt.

"Mr. Sonic," the teacher started, "If you're going to fall asleep during my lectures, then perhaps YOU'd like to instruct my class!"

I slowly rose back to my feet, a bit of anger in my voice. "I would, teach', but I don't wanna bore everyone to death!"

The whole class started laughing at my comment, and the teacher pointed a finger at the door, telling me to leave the classroom. I shrugged my shoulders and sighed, exiting the classroom and going over to sit in the lobby.

Believe it or not, we had lobbies in each section of the school. There were four houses: red, white, blue, and gold. Red was below white, and blue was next to gold, which were both on the other side of the building from where I was at. Each house had a really nice lobby filled with sitting spots, comfty chairs, and even awesome HD televisions hanging at different angles from the chairs, meaning I could very well just sit back and relax while everyone thought I was being punished. Works for me. Hell, there were even vending machines not even a few feet away from the bathrooms, which were about ten feet away from me.

I plopped down into a lounge chair, sitting in front of a TV, slouching in my seat. I released a sigh as I sat alone in my seat. It was at this point that something started to bug me. About Shadow...Why? Why did he let us live? And why did he make it look like he killed Silver and Scourge? I can't believe I even got to meet him. That was the project: I literally did battle with the ultimate life form, the most powerful being on the planet. He could have-

"Are you always getting yourself in trouble like this?" I heard a voice behind me, and when I lunged out of my seat in shock and turned to see who it was, I saw a perfectly recovered Silver standing before me.

"Silver! You're...perfectly fine!"

"Whaddya mean? Of course I'm fine. What'd you think happened to me?"

"Well...Shadow..."

"Oh. That's what you meant. Rest assured; he'll get what's coming to him. Mark my words."

"So, Silver, what's an Official doing here? At my school?"

"I came with Director Blaze."

"Say what? Blaze is here, too?"

"Yes. We're doing an investigation on a recent crime that took place on school grounds."

"Oh? What happened here?"

He crossed his arms. "Witness reports tell that a young woman with blonde hair was seen being chased by a thug, and she was chased all the way to the school grounds. That's when she called for help, and luckily, there were campus police there to investigate."

"So, did she make it out all right?"

"Yeah. The woman was reported to have no physical injuries, except for a scar on her right arm that she claimed came from running through the woods."

"Oh...Well, why didn't you come and get me?"

"Director Blaze thought you could use some time away from the constant Official work. I, on the other hand, get no breaks, so I'm afraid I'll have to take my leave of you." He turned to face the other direction, but before I gave him the chance to move any further, I stopped him.

"Hey...Silver."

"What?"

I smiled, which is something I don't normally do when it comes to Silver. "I'm glad you're all right."

This apparently caught him off guard, as he turned to face me with a puzzled look. About two seconds later, he threw that serious glare on his face again, and turned back around to walk away. "Thanks. Glad to see you're all right, too."

He had left the area, leaving me alone and bored, until finally, the bell to fifth period rang, saving me from both lonliness and boredom. I bolted off to meet Mina at the library, and like always, she was there, waiting for me.

I took her by the hand, and we walked together to her fifth period. This was pretty convenient for the both of us, actually; she had choir class, and I had gym class, and the two were practically right next to one another, so we didn't have to go very far away. We both had the same lunch period, too. It was a pretty sweet setup, if you ask me. I walked her to class and found my way to my own, meeting up with Knuckles on the way. We both had this class together.

"So, Sonic, you ready to fight?"

I smirked at him, walking down the hallway to the gym. "Yeah, you know it. I'm just beaming with excitement."

He laughed. "It must suck, knowing that every day, every kid in our class is gonna ask you to fight them."

"It's only because they know I'm strong, and they wanna be that way, too."

"I understand that. Hell, I kinda wish I was as strong as you were."

I grinned at him. "Dude, you're stronger than I am. I just have more speed and dexterity. Oh...and more skill."

"Whatever! No way are you smarter than me!"

We started running down the hallway, and wouldn't you know it, I was already steps ahead of him. I stuck my tongue out at him and laughed. "See?" Told you I was faster than you!"

We busted into the gym, seeing the rest of the class ready and willing to battle. Everyone in class had lined up to fight me, of course, and the first up was a rough-looking guy. That fight didn't last very long, and neither did the one following it. Or the one after that, or the one after that, or...Well, you get the concept. It wasn't long before I was pooped and ready for lunch, which is when the bell to lunch rang for us to go.

Mina would always wait for me down the hallway, and we'd always walk together hand in hand, with Knuckles there with us. Tails had Programming Skills for fifth, and Amy had Dance class. These were both on the other side of the hall from gym and band, meaning that we all had the same lunch, too. We would always sit at a certain table every day, and I'd always hit up the middle line for some reasonable grub. We'd all meet up after getting our food, and we'd converse and carry on like always. But during lunch today, I was otherwise quiet. I didn't really say anything. And apparently, the only one who noticed was Mina. Yeah, I ate my food, but after that, I didn't really have anything to do with the lunch period.

I don't even feel like talking about sixth or seventh period, other than those were the two most boring classes of my day: Tech Ed and Net History. They were so dull and uneventful, I almost fell asleep during them both, but since I conveniently remembered what had happened during third period, I tried my best not to sleep. It worked out pretty well, to my surprise. It was finally the last bell, the one that sends us all home for the day. I raced myself up to the flagpole, ready to meet my beautiful girlfriend and take her shopping. Oh...I wasn't really looking forward to the shopping part.

We finally met in front of the flagpole as arranged, and we started walking for the mall from there. It wasn't too long of a walk, but it wouldn't have hurt if we had some kind of vehicle. At last, we reached the mall, and not a moment sooner were we bombarded by the public that loved their hero. There were girls my age and older who were squealing like five year-olds at the mere sight of me. It really annoyed me; just because I saved the world, that doesn't mean I need all of this fame and popularity. It really cramped my style.

Our "adventure" started off in a shoe store, of all places. Mina wasn't exactly too fond of picking out flashy shoes or heels or anything like that; she was pretty plain and ordinary, and that's part of what I liked about her. She wasn't one of those girls that showered themselves in makeup every day to make themselves look good, only to find out that they look rather funny with all of that paint on their face. She never wore makeup. Never. Then again, she didn't really need it, in my opinion. She was just as beautiful without any of that on her body.

Our next stop was the food court, so we could grab a bite to eat. We didn't really eat anything at a restaurant; we just stop at the Cookie Co. and grab something to go. She got the same thing I did: an M&M double doozie, which consisted of two cookies with delicious whipped cream in the middle, making it a deluctable cookie sandwich. Guess we had more in common that I thought before.

After about two more hours of shopping, Mina was apparently done with everything she needed. Or, wanted, to be honest. We started for the exit door on the east side of the building, and that's when we witnessed a thug-looking man dash right by us, chasing a young girl in the distance. I set aside Mina's bags for the moment, and I ran after the man. I'll give the guy credit; he was fast, but nothing I couldn't handle myself. Eventually, I caught up to the guy and kicked him into a nearby wall, running up behind him and pinning his arms so he couldn't escape. I had him up against the wall, and Mina had just started to call the police on her SC as soon as I had him locked. This thug was going to jail, that I would make sure of.

Shortly after calling the police, Mina and I approached the woman to speak with her. She was a rather stunning girl, with hair long and of a goldenrod blonde, eyes of a refined, dazzling blue. Her figure was curved quite elegantly, and it was clothed in a blue top that was complemented very accurately with a blue skirt that reached halfway down to her feet. To be honest, her choice of clothing was a little...old-fashioned, but she still managed to pull it off.

"Are you all right?" Mina asked, attempting to comfort her.

"Y...Yes," the woman stuttered. We could both tell she was terrified.

"It's all right, now." Mina walked up to her slowly and held her hands gently. "You don't need to be afraid. We're not gonna hurt you."

"Y...Yes."

I walked forward a couple of steps. "Do you know who that guy was?"

She shook her head hesitantly. "N...No. I have no idea. He's been chasing me for the past few days..."

I blinked. "Few days? Wait...so...are you the woman who got chased to my school?"

She looked up at me slowly. "Y-Yes."

"So, you're the one Silver's looking for!"

Mina looked over at me. "Silver came to school today?"

"Yeah, and he said he was investigating an incident that happened at school. Apparently, a woman was chased onto school grounds by a thug and she managed to call for help. But the thug ran off, and he was never caught."

"But we got him this time," added Mina, who looked back at the woman with a smile. "So no worries about that. He's going to jail."

"Yes...Thank you. Both of you."

I grinned at her. "No problem."

"So, hey, can I ask you your name?" Mina requested.

I was going to ask her first, but I didn't really think now was the right time to. I guess Mina beat me to it. But oddly enough, the woman seemed a little hesitant to reply to Mina's request. She didn't seem scared, but she was a little uneasy. Who could blame her? She had been chased by a thug for the past few days, and she was forced to run for her life. Who wouldn't be a little cautious with who they trusted after that? But eventually, she stood up straight and looked directly at both Mina and I, and what she said nearly made me drop to the floor in shock:

"My name...is Maria. Maria Robotnik." 


	37. Chapter 37

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 37 Maria!

"Maria? Maria Robotnik?" No way. It wasn't possible. To think that a woman who died fifteen years ago was standing right in front of me. I couldn't conceive that thought. Was this really her? I mean, I've seen a picture of her before, from Yuichiro, but that was fifteen years ago. And she had much shorter hair than she does now. Her hair was long, reaching down to about the end of her spine. How could this be Maria?

"M...Maria?" Even Mina was thrown off balance by all of this. "Robotnik? You mean, you're related to that man?"

"Man?" She gasped. "Do you mean...my grandfather? Gerald Robotnik?"

I intervened. "No! We mean Ivo! Ivo Robotnik!"

"Ivo? But...he was just a little boy the last time I saw him..."

Mina shook her head. "Well, come back home with me. We need to talk about a few things."

"O...Okay. Umm...by the way, what are your names?"

"Mina."

"Sonic," I added plainly.

"Okay. Nice to meet you both."

"Likewise. Now, let's get moving."

We made our way to Mina's house, and I had just finished sending a message for the rest of the gang to come here. We made our way up the porch and approached the front door. But right as Maria attempted to go in, the bottom of her blue skirt snatched onto the door frame, and when she took another step forward, it tore off completely, revealing her lower body. Immediately, she covered herself, and Mina covered her, as well. I, being a good boy, closed my eyes and threw my hand over them, so as to not sneak a peek at her. Mina giggled.

"I think we need to find you some new clothes. These look way too short on you."

"Y-Yes," Maria added, embarrassed to no end. We walked inside slowly so as to not draw any attention of people passing by.

Mina dashed Maria up the stairs in a hurry, and she shut the door and locked it when they both were in her room. This lead Ash and I some time to talk. I hadn't spoken to the guy since around Christmas.

"Sonic, who was that girl? She was downright beautiful."

"Hey, don't get any funny ideas. She's more than likely not interested in you."

"How do you figure that?"

"I dunno. I just do."

"Whatever..." He crossed his arms and sat down on the nearby couch.

It took the girls more than half an hour to find something suitable for Maria. Finally, Mina busted through the doorway and started acting as if this was some kind of fashion show.

"May I present to you, the new and improved Ms. Maria Robotnik!"

Maria walked out of the room, cheeks slightly crimson. She had changed from old-fashioned blue skirt and dress top to just a casual V-cut blue T-shirt and blue jeans. Well, she was...definitely more regular, now. She could easily be mistaken for a school student, too.

"Hey, not bad, Mina. You did a good job." Well, the best she could, anyway; her clothes were still the same color as her old ones, but she looked more casual-more like us.

"I know, right? Now, we won't have to worry about her clothes tearing on us."

"Whoa, wait, what happened?" asked Ash. "Her clothes...got torn?"

I pointed a finger at him with a stern facial expression. "I told you not to get any funny ideas."

"W-Whaddya mean?" replied Ash. "I wasn't-"

"Ash, that's disgusting," interrupted Mina.

"What? I wasn't thinking-"

"No, it's...it's all right, everyone," intervened Maria. "Besides, I...I already have someone in my heart."

"Really?" asked Mina. "Who would that be?"

She turned to face all three of us. "Have any of you heard of a man named...Shadow?"

That sent a chill down my spine. Shadow? Really? Those two were together in the past? You're kidding, right? I had definitely heard of him, but...whether or not I wanted to tell her about him was a huge decision on my part. How could I tell her, so innocent and so clueless to the world around her, that the man she loved was a cold-blooded assassin who not only became an Underworld Deity, but also tried to kill me and two of my friends?

"No. We've...never heard of him."

Mina looked over at me with a confused, somewhat sad look. It was almost as if though she wanted me to tell her what I thought of Shadow.

"Why don't you...uhh...tell us more about him? That way, we can be on the lookout for him."

Maria nodded with a smile. "Let's see...he's tall, dark, handsome..."

So far, it sounded like Shadow. Just...not the handsome part.

"His hair is completely black, with red streaks at the tips."

Holy shit...she really WAS talking about the same Shadow.

"And he has red eyes. His gaze was something I could never forget."

Yeah, me neither. It was something right out of a horror film; it almost made me piss myself.

"I don't know what he's wearing or what he even looks like, now. I haven't seen him in...fifteen years."

"Fifteen years?" Mina asked. "Maria, what have you been doing this whole time?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. That's just it. I...the doctor told me that I've been in a coma for fifteen years."

A fifteen-year coma! Can you believe that? So, she DID survive! She lived through the events at SciLab! This was really, truly, one-hundred percent the real Maria Robotnik!

"You poor thing..." added Ash. "Do you remember what happened before you slipped into a coma?"

"Yes, but...I want Shadow to be here with me. I can't tell you otherwise."

"Oh...I'm sorry for pushing you."

"It's all right."

Shortly afterwards, the rest of the gang arrived, ready to engage Maria in a barrage of questions. We all sat down comfortably on the couch and in a few chairs in the living room. Mina started the conversation.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet the newest member of our team, Maria Robotnik."

Knuckles leapt out of his chair and readied his SC. "Robotnik! Everyone! Get ready to-"

"Knuckles!" I exclaimed, shouting at him. "Dude, she's not the enemy! Didn't you just hear Mina? She's our newest friend!"

"Oh..." He blushed, sliding back down into his seat.

"Now, then," Mina continued, "Maria is a survivor of an incident that occured fifteen years ago at SciLab. She was reported K.I.A., but it turns out that she was merely placed under a coma. She stayed that way for fifteen years."

"A fifteen-year coma?" asked Tails. "That's insane...That means you were laying in a hospital bed for fifteen years?"

Maria nodded silently.

"That means...fifteen perfectly good years of your life were lost..."

She nodded again, this time slower than before, as if deep in thought.

"Maria, do you recall anything that happened before you slipped into a coma? Anything about the incident?"

She shook her head. She was lying, but I didn't feel like saying anything.

"She was the one who ran away with Project Shadow," Mina interrupted. It just now smacked me in the face that we promised Yuichiro we would never tell anyone about this. But what the hell. They were our friends. We could trust them.

"Project Shadow? You mean that guy Sonic, Silver, and Scourge fought in the Underworld?"

"Yeah. The very same one. Project Shadow was demanded to be given to GUN, the military, but when SciLab denied, they attacked SciLab and supposedly killed Maria and Project Shadow."

"But they didn't," I added, "Because Shadow's in the Underworld and Maria is right here in front of us."

Maria bolted out of her seat. "You know where Shadow is?"

Crap...Totally wasn't supposed to say that.

"Please, Sonic. Tell me where you saw him."

"I...It doesn't matter where I saw him, Maria. You can't go there. It's far too dangerous for you."

"I don't care! Take me to see Shadow!"

"I can't!" I flared out of my seat. "Maria, you don't understand just how dangerous it is in the Underworld! If the name doesn't scare you, just wait until you see what's down there! It took me and two of my friends to even last a few minutes in that place!"

She gasped, and after a few moments, I noticed tears in her eyes. She bolted out the front door and off on her own. Mina followed her, but before Maria made it halfway down the porch, something started to happen to her. She started screaming in agony. Everyone in the house bolted outside to help her. We had picked her up in our arms and carried her upstairs to a bed. Good thing, too; she had passed out from feeling so much pain. We laid her upstairs in the guest room bed, and Mina picked the bed sheets and gently tossed them over her, so she could get some rest.

Everyone except Mina and I had left the room, returning home for the day. Right before I left the room, she stopped me.

"Do you think...I pushed her?"

"Huh?" I turned to face her. "Whaddya mean?"

"She's been through so much...and I demanded that she come here and talk with everybody. Even after what happened to her only a couple hours ago..."

I scratched my head in thought. "Well, yeah, she definitely deserves some rest after all of this. But don't think it was your fault, Mina. It wasn't. I dunno what happened to her...but it didn't look like she was exhausted."

"Sonic..." She turned to face me. "Thank you."

I grinned at her. "No sweat, babe. C'mon, let's go back downstairs."

As she rose to her feet and walked over to me, I noticed Maria's body acting weird. She was...glowing. The glow was a light-blue color, flashing every few seconds, in and out. Something was definitely happening to her. Whether or not it was good or bad...I don't know. Did she need medical attention? Was she going to be all right? What exactly happened to her? What's GOING to happen to her? All of the answers I needed...I couldn't find them. Not yet. Mina didn't even notice her glowing, since she was turned the completely opposite direction. I was tempted to speak up, but I decided against it. I didn't want to bother Maria's sleeping, so after Mina left the room, I followed, switching off the light and slowly closing the door.

I couldn't believe everything that was happening. Maria Robotnik, the girl who was supposedly K.I.A, was sleeping in Mina's guest room after some kind of panic attack. No one knew what was wrong with her, and no one could tell. Everything happened so fast...it was hard to believe it all even happened. Whatever the case, hopefully, when she wakes up, she'll be better, and she'll be able to join our circle of friends. I'd like that. It's always nice having more of what you need, right?

But I wasn't so sure about Shadow. I guess when Yuichiro said that she had ran away with him, he didn't know that he was an actual living being. A human being. What's more, they were apparently in love. Maybe Shadow was a different person back then. Maybe he wasn't such an overpowered assassin, and that's why Maria fell for him. I don't know the reasoning behind it.

But when Maria wakes up, I plan on finding out. 


	38. Chapter 38

Sonic BN Brawl Chapter 38 Detour to Another World

Seven-thirty at night. Not a sound in the house, except for Mina's breathing on my chest while laying on the couch watching another episode of Netbattling and You. It was one of those documentary shows that teaches inexperienced fighters how to Netbattle. Not that I needed to watch it, or anything; we were kind of waiting for Maria to wake up. Mina would occasionally shut her eyes and doze off into her dreams, and I'd listen to her light, feminine snoring. I didn't really mind the sound; it was kind of cute, to be honest. Her long, flowing purple hair had covered most of her face in bangs, while the tips drenched downwards off of the edge of her shoulder. There were even points in time where I could briefly hear the clock ticking, the one only a few feet higher than the TV. It was a cute little Chao clock, and every time it hit the next hour, the little ball on its head would light up and turn into an exclamation mark, then after a few seconds, it would revert back to just a simple yellow ball. It was adorable, if I'm allowed to say that.

I felt her snuggle into my chest, her hand slightly digging into my skin. It was warm. Gentle, even. Sensational comfort filled my body, knowing that she was sound asleep ever so cozily atop my body. She was so beautiful, especially when she was sleeping. Rather, that kind of beauty turned into cuteness. At that moment, I felt her lift her head, parts of her hair brushing against my face. A smile lit her gorgeous face, and she approached my lips to engage in a kiss. As her boyfriend, I would be more than happy to oblige. Our lips locked in a sudden urge to feel that touch. It was only moments afterwards that we heard the tilting of the front doorknob, and seconds after that, the door itself slowly crept open. It was confusing to see a little girl, who looked no older than five, walk through the front door. Her head was covered with blond hair, and she was dressed in a cute little blue dress, which extended down to her knees. Her shoes, which were black and white in color, seemed a little too tight on her feet, but then again, I couldn't exactly tell.

Mina lunged off of me, causing me to fall flat on my face onto the floor. Yeah, it hurt, but only a minor sting. She dusted herself off and tried to make it look like nothing was going on. H-Hello, there!

The little girl slightly raised her hand. H-Hi...

I managed to stand back on my feet, and when I did, I brushed off my clothes and walked over to the little girl, who in turn stepped back to avoid further contact.

Sorry, I said plainly. I'll step back. I took a few steps away from her, back over to Mina.

The little girl gently bit her lip. Is Mommy here?

Mina and I crossed glances, and they were shifted back to the little girl. Mommy? she asked.

Yes. Mommy.

Uhh...I'm sorry, little girl, but I don't exactly-

Is anyone there...? A voice from upstairs suddenly echoed downwards to the living room. Maria had finally awoken, and she was coming downstairs to meet us, her hand rubbing her head gently and trying to eliminate the tiredness in her eyes.

Mommy! the little girl shouted. She ran over to Maria and hugged her tightly, which she happily returned.

Mina and I watched as we saw this happen. What else could we do? It was shocking, to say the least.

Maria is your...Mom? Mina exclaimed.

The little girl nodded at her comment, but she didn't direct her attention towards Mina. She was a little too preoccupied rubbing her head against Maria's legs in joy. Maria glanced up at me, a smile lit across her face.

"Yes. This is my daughter, Marlene. She's five years old." She kneeled back down to Marlene. "Dear, how did you find me here? You're not supposed to run away from home. What will the nanny think?"

"I don't care, Mommy! I wanna be with you! I don't like the nanny!"

"Oh, Marlene...What am I going to do with you?"

I blinked, processing everything that was going on. "Maria...is she...?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm her mother, and...Shadow is her father."

"Shadow?" I exclaimed. "That bloodthirsty-" I paused, remembering that there was a little five year-old girl in the room. I didn't want to stain her innocence. "S-Sorry. I wasn't thinking straight."

Just then, Marlene glanced up above the TV, and she pointed her finger at the Chao clock. "Is that a Chao?"

Mina looked over to the clock, laughing a little when she saw it. "No, dear," she said, turning back to Marlene. "That's just a clock. It looks like a Chao, though, doesn't it?"

"I saw one!"

"Hmm?"

"I saw one! Outside. Right outside the house!"

"You...saw one?" questioned Maria. "Right outside the house?"

"Yup yup! Come on!" She ran out the front door and onto the front porch. We followed her, only to be surprised as to what we saw.

"What's this...?" asked Mina. It was some kind of rift, a tear in time and space. It felt as if though we were being sucked in, but it was just because of the air being ferociously forced into the vortex. It wasn't but a moment after we saw it that a small Chao popped out from the vortex, standing up to greet us.

"A Chao!"

"See?" said Marlene. "Told you!"

"What's a Chao doing here?" I asked.

"Who knows? Maybe we can ask the little guy."

I walked up to the Chao and kneeled down to its level, smiling at it. "Hey there, little guy."

The Chao cried happily at me.

"Where'd you come from?"

The Chao gestured its right arm over to the vortex. Guess that was an obvious question.

"The vortex?" asked Mina. "What's over on the other side?"

"Why don't we check it out?" I addressed to the crowd. With a few nods, we all stepped over to the vortex, and wouldn't you know it, we were instantly transported to a completely unknown world.

It was only seconds after we arrived that I opened my eyes to look around. It was a sort of lobby, like that of an expo. It was almost as if though we were trapped inside of a circular dome, sitting motionless in the depths of outer space. There were two staircases, as well, one to our left and one to our right. The light reflected off of each step as if they were made of prism.

"What is this place?" asked Mina, stepping forward. "How did we get here?"

The Chao that appeared in front of Mina's house was sitting on my shoulder, and it crawled down to my right leg and put its hand in my pocket. Shortly after tampering through it for a short few seconds, it discovered the key I had received from Tikal before she and Chaos returned to heaven.

"Chao chao!" The Chao cried happily as it raised the key high above its head.

"This?" I slowly took the key from its hand. "This key is what brought us here?"

"Pretty cool, huh?" said Marlene. "I've got one, too! Here, take a look!"

I turned to face Marlene, and I walked closer to her. She reached into her left pocket and pulled out a small key, completely identical to the one I was given.

"Wow...You're right. They're exactly the same!"

"These keys take you to Chao World!"

"Chao World? The world we're in right now?"

"Yup!" she giggled.

"So, wait," said Mina, "Where exactly IS Chao World?"

"It's on the other side of the planet!"

"Really? So, it's on our world, then?"

She shook her head. "Nuh-uh. On the other side of the other side of the world!"

"I think she means it's like another moon," said Mina. "The moon isn't on our planet, and neither are the stars, but you can see them because of their glow. This Chao World must be the same thing. But I've never seen anything like a giant circular dome up in the sky before."

"That's 'cause it's invincible!" exclaimed Marlene.

"Marlene, I think you mean 'invisible,'" Maria corrected.

"That's what I said! Invincible!"

Maria shrugged and laughed it off, and she kissed her daughter on the forehead. "So, Marlene, you've been here before?"

"Yes, Mommy."

"Do you know if anyone else is here?"

"Uh-huh! A nice lady! And a gooey guy!"

"Gooey guy?" I asked.

"Yeah! C'mon! I'll show you!" She dashed away from the group and up the stairs to the doorway hovering above us. It had two statues of little Chao, standing apart with horns in their hands and a halo above their heads. We stepped into the doorway, and we were all pulled forward by an unknown force. We came to a beautiful little garden-esque area, with a clean, pure pool of water coming from an elegant fountain statue in the center. There was a small balcony overlooking the pool, and a few broken pedestals on the two sides of the garden. A magnificent bell tower stood gracefully in the distance, beyond what seemed to be pink, cotton-candy-like clouds. It appeared that we couldn't go across the clouds without falling through, and who knows what would happen if we did that.

"Welcome back, friends," said a slightly familiar voice from afar. We all stepped forward to find where it came from, only to stop in front of the pool of water upon seeing a figure in the distance. The figure moved closer to us, crossing the pool of water without even stepping foot into it. It stood before us, standing next to six regular Chao.

"C...Chaos!" I exclaimed, jumping back a little bit. "You're here?"

He laughed slightly. "Of course. Tikal and I are the ones who gave you the key, yes?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"We regularly visit this place to bless the Chao, and to play with and care for them. They are all very lonely, being here without someone to watch them and play together with them."

"The poor things..." said Mina. "Don't you have someone looking after them?"

"We both come here whenever we wish," said another familiar voice behind us. We all turned around to see who it was.

"Tikal!" exclaimed Mina.

"Hello!" played Tikal. "It's wonderful to see you all again!"

"Yeah! Same here!" I replied. "But what're you both doing here? Shouldn't you two be...y'know...resting? In heaven?"

She giggled. "We are only here in soul, Sonic. Our physical bodies are still resting themselves in heaven. That way, we can roam freely without the worry of being hurt."

"That sounds incredibly useful," I said.

"It is. Very useful, I would say."

"Sonic," blurted Chaos, "I can sense there's something bothering you."

"Huh?" I turned back around to see Chaos, as did everyone else. "Whaddya mean?"

"I can see it in your face. What troubles you?"

"Uhh...W-Well..."

"Is it about Shadow?"

"How did you-"

"We both know all about Shadow. We know he is an incredibly powerful man, since he possessed the power to best even the two of us in combat."

"Shadow...beat you and Tikal?" said Mina, shocked and breathless.

"Yes. It was rather embarrassing, to say the least."

"I'd never seen a fighter like him," said Tikal, who had walked over to Chaos to stand beside him. "His speed, his ferocity...they were impossible to read."

"You tried to read his movements so you could counter? Sorry, guys, but I did the same thing, and...well, it didn't work out well."

"We know. We know all about your battle with Shadow. You took him on three to one, and you still lost."

"Yeah...Shadow's incredibly strong. I don't think there's a single person alive who could beat him..."

"Of course not..." said Maria, out of the blue.

I turned to face her. "Whaddya mean?"

"Shadow is the first-and only-artifical life form created by SciLab, and he was created using an ancient, unknown technology found in the Underworld."

"Yeah, I knew that already. That's where we found him."

"What?"

Uhh...Oops.

"You saw him in the Underworld? Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

"I mean...That is...Maria, you can't seriously be thinking about going there. It's way too dangerous, even with a group of skilled fighters. There's no way you could go there alone."

"I...But I...I want to see him. I want to make sure he's still alive..."

"Oh, we can promise you that," interrupted Tikal. "We can sense his presence in the Underworld. Rest assured. He still lives."

"That's good...I just...When can I go and see him?"

"I'm afraid Sonic is right," said Chaos. "Going to the Underworld without some kind of miracle would only get you killed. That goes for anyone."

"I'm sorry, Maria," said Mina. "But if this Underworld is really what everyone says it is, then I can't let you go, either. It would be wrong of me to let a friend go somewhere that dangerous, even with someone else."

"Thank you, Mina..." said Maria.

"Mommy?" We heard Marlene's voice from below.

"Yes?" replied Maria.

"Umm...would it be okay...if I stayed here with the pretty lady and the gooey guy?"

"What? Absolutely not!"

"Aww! Why not?"

"Why do you want to stay here?"

"'Cause I wanna play with the Chao! And the nice lady and the gooey guy! They're all really nice to me! I don't wanna go home. I have the key! I can always go back home!"

"Marlene, I..."

"Pweeeeeeease?" She batted her eyes so innocently so as to increase her odds of getting what she wanted.

"Oh...I don't know..."

"Should you allow her to stay," added Chaos, "You can rest assured I will protect her."

"Yes," Tikal agreed," We will keep her safe like she was one of our own."

"I...I...All right. You can stay."

"Yaaaaay! Thank you, Mommy!"

Marlene ran off back to the exit door, going to one of the other gardens.

"Sonic, you and your friends are also welcome to come here anytime."

I grinned at them. "Thanks! It's good to catch up on things, huh?"

Chaos laughed. "Indeed, it is."

"Oh!" said Tikal. "Before you go, please, take him with you." She gestured her hand downwards to her feet, and it stopped at a Chao.

"Huh?" I said. "You want me to take this with me?"

"Of course. He seems to like you. Why not give him a name?"

"Hmm...I dunno...What's a good name?" I pondered the thought for a few moments, and finally, I had decided on a decently-planned name. "I got it! His name is-"

"Ark!" blurted Mina. "His name is Ark!"

"Huh? Mina, I was gonna-" She turned her head to face me, batting her eye lashes and acting like she was about to cry. How could I resist that innocent look?

"Okay, okay," I shrugged. "His name is Ark."

The Chao jumped with joy and flew onto my shoulder with its tiny little wings. He sat there peacefully and acted as if he was waiting for us to leave.

"Well, uhh...Thanks, Tikal, Chaos. I'll take good care of 'im."

"WE'LL take good care of him!" giggled Mina, walking over to me and wrapping her arms around mine. She looked into my eyes, shooting me her gorgeous smile. "Right?"

"Right!" 


End file.
